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Erihera embutho: Omwatsi wa Wangari Maathai A Tiny Seed: The Story of Wangari Maathai Mbegu Ndogo: Hadithi ya Wangari Maathai

Written by Nicola Rijsdijk

Illustrated by Maya Marshak

Translated by Amos Mubunga Kambere

Language Lukhonzo

Level Level 3

Narrate full story The audio for this story is currently not available.


Omwakyalo kighuma, okwamalambo owokwakithwa ekye Kenya omwa Africa eyikasira elyuba, yabya omumbesa inyakasiba omwirima na mama wiwe, Erina liwe abya Wangari.

In a village on the slopes of Mount Kenya in East Africa, a little girl worked in the fields with her mother. Her name was Wangari.

Katika kijiji kimoja kwenye mteremko wa Mlima wa Kenya, katika Afrika Mashariki, msichana mdogo alifanya kazi za shambani pamoja na mama yake. Msichana huyu aliitwa Wangari.


Wangari inyanzire eribya eyihya. Omwirima ly’ebyalya inyatakulha ekithaka omwa kipanga kiwe. Neryo inyakahera embutho omwa mahya omwamuthaka.

Wangari loved being outside. In her family’s food garden she broke up the soil with her machete. She pressed tiny seeds into the warm earth.

Wangari alipenda kufanya kazi za nje. Alitumia jembe kulima katika bustani ya familia yake. Kisha alipanda mbegu ndogo katika ardhi yenye rutuba.


Omusika inyanzire obuthuko bwenkyakya. Neryo bukira omwigholhogholho akaminya athi esaha yerikulhuka yamahika. Neryo inyakakwama akayira akakalhaba okwamisike y’amalima, nerisoka esyanyusi.

Her favourite time of day was just after sunset. When it got too dark to see the plants, Wangari knew it was time to go home. She would follow the narrow paths through the fields, crossing rivers as she went.

Alipenda majira ya jioni, wakati jua linapozama. Giza lilipozidi mpaka aliposhindwa kuona mimea, Wangari alifahamu kuwa wakati wa kwenda nyumbani uliwadia. Alikuwa anafuata kinjia chembamba kilichopita uwanjani huku akivuka mito akielekea nyumbani.


Wangari abya mumbesa w’amange, isyangalinda erighenda omw’itendekero. Kyonga mama na thatha wiwe babyabanzire inyikalha eka eribawathikya. Abere ahika emyaka musangyu, mukulhu wiwe mwa sonasona ababuthi athi bamuleke aghende angatsuka erisoma.

Wangari was a clever child and couldn’t wait to go to school. But her mother and father wanted her to stay and help them at home. When she was seven years old, her big brother persuaded her parents to let her go to school.

Wangari alikuwa mtoto mwerevu na alikuwa na hamu ya kwenda shule. Lakini wazazi wake walitaka awasaidie nyumbani. Alipofika umri wa miaka saba, kaka yake aliwashawishi wazazi wake kumwacha aende shule.


Mwanza ekisoma! Wangari mwaminya bindu binene habwerisoma bitabu binene. Mwakolha ndeke omwa masomo neryo abakulhu bamamusaba eriyasomera omw’Amarica. Wangari mwabunyahirwa! Mwanza eriyitheghererya eby’ekihugho kyosi.

She liked to learn! Wangari learnt more and more with every book she read. She did so well at school that she was invited to study in the United States of America. Wangari was excited! She wanted to know more about the world.

Alipenda kusoma! Wangari alijifunza zaidi na zaidi kwa kila kitabu alichokisoma. Alifanya vyema sana shuleni hadi akaalikwa kwenda Marekani kuendeleza masomo yake huko. Wangari alitiwa hamasa sana na nafasi hii! Alipenda kujua ulimwengu zaidi.


Okwa University om’America Wangari mwasoma bindu binene. Mwasoma okwabithi ngokubikalhasa nerikulha. Neryo nayo amibuka ngokwakulha: erisatha emisatho haima nabaghalha babo ahisi yebitsutsu omwabibira by’emisithu ye’Kenya.

At the American university Wangari learnt many new things. She studied plants and how they grow. And she remembered how she grew: playing games with her brothers in the shade of the trees in the beautiful Kenyan forests.

Alipokuwa chuoni huko Marekani, Wangari alijifunza mengi mapya. Alisomea mimea na jinsi inavyokua. Na alikumbuka maisha yake yalivyokuwa utotoni: kucheza michezo na msitu zake katika kivuli cha miti kwenye misitu maridadi ya Kenya.


Eyanasomera kutsibu mwasa akalangira kwanzire abandu be’Kenya. Mwanza erilhangira athi nabo bakayira obughabe, neribya netseme. Ekisomo kinene ikikaleka iny’ibuka abandu biwe ab’Africa.

The more she learnt, the more she realised that she loved the people of Kenya. She wanted them to be happy and free. The more she learnt, the more she remembered her African home.

Jinsi alivyojifunza ndivyo alivyofahamu kuwa aliwapenda watu wa Kenya. Alitaka wafurahi na wawe wenye uhuru. Jinsi alivyojifunza ndivyo alivyokumbuka nyumbani kwao Afrika.


Abere aghunza ekisomo kiwe, mwasuba ewabu e’Kenya. Mwasangana ekihugho ikyabirihinduka. Amalima inyabirikanya. Emithi eyesyangwe isiyikyiriyo. Abandu banene inibanaku n’abana ibakahwa n’enzalha.

When she had finished her studies, she returned to Kenya. But her country had changed. Huge farms stretched across the land. Women had no wood to make cooking fires. The people were poor and the children were hungry.

Alipokamilisha masomo yake, alirudi Kenya. Lakini nchi yake ilikuwa imebadilika. Kulikuwa na mashamba makubwa kila upande. Wanawake hawakupata kuni za kuwasha moto wa kupikia. Watu walikuwa maskini na watoto walikuwa na njaa.


Wangari mwaminya ekyerikolha. Mwatsuka erisomesya abaghole erihera emithi. Neryo yabirikulha mubatsuka erighuliayo, nerithunga esyambulho esyeriwathikya ebihanda byabu. Abaghole mubayisyetha. Wangari mwabawathikya eriyira amani neriyikolera.

Wangari knew what to do. She taught the women how to plant trees from seeds. The women sold the trees and used the money to look after their families. The women were very happy. Wangari had helped them to feel powerful and strong.

Wangari alijua la kufanya. Aliwafundisha wanawake jinsi ya kupanda miti kutokana na miche. Wanawake waliuza ile miti na pesa walizopata walizitumia kwa mahitaji ya familia zao. Wanawake walifurahi. Wangari alikuwa amewasaidia kuwa wenye nguvu na uwezo.


Obuthuku bwamabya bwabirilhaba emithi yaherawa yamahinduka misithu, kandi nesyanyusi syamatsuka erisenda kutsibu. Omwatsi w’omumbesa Wangari mwaminyikalha omwa Africa yosi. Munabwire obuthabarika bwemithi bwamabiriherwa erilhwa omwambutho ya Wangari.

As time passed, the new trees grew into forests, and the rivers started flowing again. Wangari’s message spread across Africa. Today, millions of trees have grown from Wangari’s seeds.

Muda ulipopita, miti mipya ilikuwa misitu, na mito ilianza tena kupitisha maji. Ujumbe wa Wangari ulienea Afrika nzima. Leo, mamilioni ya miti imemea kutokana na mbegu za Wangari.


Erikolha kutsibu lya Wangari mulyaminywa nekihugho kyosi. Neryo mubamuha ewasinjya eyembaghane. Mubamwambalya Omudali ow’Obuholho. Mwabya Mughole w’okubanza omw’Africa eriambalibwa omudali oyo.

Wangari had worked hard. People all over the world took notice, and gave her a famous prize. It is called the Nobel Peace Prize, and she was the first African woman ever to receive it.

Wangari alikuwa amefanya bidii. Watu ulimwengu mzima walifahamu hili na wakampa tuzo. Tuzo hii inaitwa, ‘Tuzo ya Amani ya Nobel.’ Na alikuwa mwanamke wa Kiafrika wa kwanza kupokea tuzo hii.


Wangari mwaholha 2011, Aliriryo thukabya thukalangira omuthi owiwene, neryo thukibuka omughole Wangari.

Wangari died in 2011, but we can think of her every time we see a beautiful tree.

Wangari alifariki mwaka 2011, lakini tunaweza kumkumbuka kila tunapoona mti maridadi.


Written by: Nicola Rijsdijk
Illustrated by: Maya Marshak
Translated by: Amos Mubunga Kambere
Language: Lukhonzo
Level: Level 3
Source: A Tiny Seed: The Story of Wangari Maathai from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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