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Mbegu Ndogo: Hadithi ya Wangari Maathai A Tiny Seed: The Story of Wangari Maathai Ulubuto Lunoono: Ilyashi lya pali Wangari Maathai

Written by Nicola Rijsdijk

Illustrated by Maya Marshak

Translated by Ursula Nafula

Read by Lauwo George

Language Swahili

Level Level 3

Narrate full story

Reading speed

Autoplay story


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.

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.

Mu mushi waba mumbali ya lupili lwa Kenya ku kabanga mu Africa, umukashana umwaice aalebomba na banyina mwibala. Ishina lyakwe aali ni Wangari.


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

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 alitemenwe ukusangwa panse. Aaleimbaula umushili no lupanga mwibala lyabo. Aabyele utuseke utunoono mu mushili wakabilila.


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.

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.

Inshita aatemwishishe ya cungulo lilya akasuba kaawa. Wangari aaleinukafye nga cakuti kwafiita saana icakuti umuntu tekuti amone ifimenwa. Pakuya aaleepita mu kashila katondo mu mabala no kuciluka imimana.


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.

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 aali mwana uwacenjela kabili aaleefwaisha ukuya ku sukulu. Nomba bawishi na banyina baaleefwaya ukuti aleikalafye pa ŋanda no kubaafwa imilimo. Ilyo aafikile pa myaka yakufyalwa cine-lubali, ndume yakwe umukalamba aalandile na bafyashi basuka basuminisha Wangari ukuya ku sukulu.


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.

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.

Aalitemenwe ukusambilila! Muli lyonse ibuuku aleebelenga aleesambililamo ifipya. Aalibombele bwino saana mu masambililo icakuti baalimwitile ukuya mu kusambilila ku caalo ca United States of America. Wangari aatemenwe icibi! Aaleefwaya ukwishibilapo ifingi pesonde.


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.

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.

Wangari aalisambiliile ifintu ifingi ifipya pa sukulu lyapa muulu mu America. Aasambilile palwa fimenwa nefyo fikula. Aaleibukisha nefyo aaleekula: ukwangala ifyangalo na bandume yakwe mu cintelelwe ca miti ya mpanga iisuma mu Kenya.


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

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.

Ilyo aaleeya aleesambilila, aatampile ukwiluka pafyo aatemenwe abantu bamu caalo ca Kenya. Aaleefwaya ukuti babe ne nsansa no buntungwa. Cilya aleeya alesambilila, ukufuluka ku mwabo ku Africa nako kwalekulilako.


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.

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.

Panuma yakupwisha amasambililo, aabwelele ku Kenya. Nomba aasangile icaalo cakwe calicinja. Kwali amabala ayakulu nganshi panga yonse. Banamaayo tabaakwete inkuni sha kukosesha umulilo. Abantu baali abapiina abaana nabo baali ne nsala.


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.

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 aalishibe ifyakucita. Aafundile banamaayo ifyakubyala imiti ukubomfya imbuto. Banamaayo baalishitishe imiti no kubomfya ulupiya mu kusunga indupwa shabo. Banamaayo balitemenwe nganshi. Wangari alyafwile abantu ukumfwa ukuti nabo baali na maka kabili abakosa.


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.

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.

Mu kuya kwa nshiku, imiti iipya yalikulile no kusanguka impanga, na meenshi mu mimana yatampile ukupita. Imbila yakwa Wangari yalisalangene mu Africa yonse. Pali Ieelo, imiti imintapendwa yaalikula ukufuma ku mbuto shakwa Wangari.


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 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 alibombeshe saana. Abantu isonde lyonse balyumfwile pa milimo yakwe no kumupeela icilambu icaishibikwa saana. Baaciita ukuti Nobel Peace Prize mu Cingeleshi, emukuti Icilambu ca Cibote, kabili ewali namaayo uwantanshi mu Africa ukupoka ici cilambu.


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

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

Wangari afwile mu mwaka wa 2011, lelo kuti twamwibukisha ilyo lyonse twamona umuti uwayemba.


Written by: Nicola Rijsdijk
Illustrated by: Maya Marshak
Translated by: Ursula Nafula
Read by: Lauwo George
Language: Swahili
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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