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A woman sitting between a boy and a girl each holding luggage.

Omayuva womasuviro pu na ina omukurukaze Holidays with grandmother

Violet Otieno

Catherine Groenewald

Angelika Tjoutuku & Asnath Mundjindjiri

Otjiherero

Level 4

The audio for this story is currently not available.

A man walking between a boy and girl all smiling.

Odongo na Apiyo aave kara motjihuro pamwe na ihe. Ovo aave zeri kutja omayuva womasuviro ye ye tjimanga. Kamotjimbe tjokutja ozosikore maze pata, nungwari omena rokutja aave vanga okukaryanga ku ina omukurukaze. Eye wa turire motjirongo meṋe yeo enene mu mu patwa omahundju.

Odongo and Apiyo lived in the city with their father. They looked forward to the holidays. Not just because school was closed, but because they went to visit their grandmother. She lived in a fishing village near a large lake.

A boy in a bed chatting with a girl in a bed next to him, with luggage at the bottom of their beds.

Odongo na Apiyo aave tjaterwa tjinene tjinga aave sokukavarura ina omukurukaze rukwao. Ongurova yokomurungu wanao, ovo va paka ozondjaṱu zavo nu ave rongerere okuyenda ouyenda oure kotjirongo ho. Ouṱuku mbwo va rara amave nyomborora ohunga nomayuva womasuviro.

Odongo and Apiyo were excited because it was time to visit their grandmother again. The night before, they packed their bags and got ready for the long journey to her village. They could not sleep and talked the whole night about the holiday.

A car driving past mountains and wild animals.

Rukuru muhukomunene otji va hinga okuyenda kotjirongo ho mohauto yaihe. Ovo va hinga pokati kozondundu, ave kapita povipuka vyokuti novikunino vyotee mbya ṱaravara. Ovo aave vara ovihauto mbi mave pingasana nokuimbura.

Early the next morning, they left for the village in their father’s car. They drove past mountains, wild animals and tea plantations. They counted cars and sang songs.

A boy and girl sleeping in a car.

Kombunda yokaruveze okasupi ovanatje va urirwe nu ave rara.

After a while, the children were tired and fell asleep.

A woman sitting between a boy and a girl each holding luggage.

Tate wa pendura Odongo na Apiyo tji va vaza motjirongo. Ovo va vaza Nyar-Kanyada, ina omukurukaze, a rangavara pokapapu kehi yomuti. Nyar-Kanyada moLuo, ri heya kutja ‘omusuko wovandu va Kanyada’. Eye wa ri omukazendu womasa nu omuwa.

Father woke up Odongo and Apiyo as they arrived in the village. They found Nyar-Kanyada, their grandmother, resting on a mat under a tree. Nyar-Kanyada in Luo, means ‘daughter of the people of Kanyada’. She was a strong and beautiful woman.

A happy-looking boy and girl holding out gifts to give to a woman.

Nyar-Kanyada we ve yakura mondjuwo ye ngunda ama imbura nokupunda otja ngwa harukwa tjinene. Ovatekuru ve va ri nondjoroka okumupa oviyandjewa mbi va eterere okuza kotjihuro otjinene. “Otjiyandjewa tjandje ngarire tji wa paturura otjitenga,” Odongo wa tja. “Kako rutenga ngarire ihi otjandje!” Apiyo wa tja.

Nyar-Kanyada welcomed them into the house and danced around the room singing with joy. Her grandchildren were excited to give her the presents they brought from the city. “First open my gift,” said Odongo. “No, my gift first!” said Apiyo.

A boy and girl bowing their heads and a woman touching the boy's head.

Nyar-Kanyada tja za nokupaturura oviyandjewa, wa sera ovatekuru ve ondaya otja kombazu yavo.

After she opened the presents, Nyar-Kanyada blessed her grandchildren in a traditional way.

A boy and girl outside chasing butterflies and birds.

Kuzambo Odongo na Apiyo ave piti pendje. Ave utu okurambera ozombombo nouzera.

Then Odongo and Apiyo went outside. They chased butterflies and birds.

A boy hanging upside down from a tree and a girl splashing in a lake.

Ovo va ronda komiti nokunyandera momeva weo nokuyetona.

They climbed trees and splashed in the water of the lake.

A boy and girl falling asleep eating dinner.

Tji kwa zorere arire tji va yaruka konganda nokukarya eriro rongurova. Ngunda ave hi ya mana okurya, tjandje va utu okukoṱura.

When it was dark they returned to the house for dinner. Before they could finish eating, they were falling asleep!

A boy, a girl and a woman waving goodbye to a man driving off in a car.

Eyuva ependukirwa, ihe yovanatje wa hinga okuyaruka kotjihuro nu ovo ave sewa pu na Nyar-Kanyada.

The next day, the children’s father drove back to the city leaving them with Nyar-Kanyada.

A boy fetching water and firewood and a girl carrying eggs and a basket of vegetables.

Odongo na Apiyo aave vatere ina omukurukaze noviungura vyoponganda. Ovo aave kateka omeva nokukatyora ozonguṋe. Ovo aave kaeta omai wozohungira nokukapora ovihape motjikunino.

Odongo and Apiyo helped their grandmother with household chores. They fetched water and firewood. They collected eggs from the chickens and picked greens from the garden.

A woman with her arms around a boy and girl sitting at a table eating dinner.

Nyar-Kanyada wa honga ovatekuru ve okutaka otjisema tji matji riwa pamwe nonyama ndja moṋonwa. Eye wina we ve honga okutereka oruihi rwokokonata ndu riwa pamwe nehundju nda tetisiwa.

Nyar-Kanyada taught her grandchildren to make soft ugali to eat with stew. She showed them how to make coconut rice to eat with roast fish.

Two cows eating crops and a farmer and a boy shouting at the cows.

Omuhuka omunene umwe, Odongo wa hinga ozongombe za ina omukurukaze okutwara komaryo. Ovo va kapitira mehi romuraranganda. Omuṱuta ngwo wa pindikisiwa i Odongo. Eye otja tanda kutja ma kambura ozongombe ndo orondu za ri ovikunwa vye. Kombunda yanao omuzandona ngwo aa tjiti ouatjiri kutja ozongombe nḓo aze ha kara moumba rukwao.

One morning, Odongo took his grandmother’s cows to graze. They ran onto a neighbour’s farm. The farmer was angry with Odongo. He threatened to keep the cows for eating his crops. After that day, the boy made sure that the cows did not get into trouble again.

A boy and a girl helping a woman sell vegetables to customers at a marketplace.

Eyuva rarwe, ovanatje va ya komaketa pamwe na Nyar-Kanyada. Eye wa ri nokatara paa randisire ovihape mbi terekwa, ouitji noheva. Apiyo aa tjaterwa i okutjivisa ozopereisa zovirandisiwa. Odongo ongwaa paka oviṋa ovandu mbi va randa mozotite.

On another day, the children went to the marketplace with Nyar-Kanyada. She had a stall selling vegetables, sugar and soap. Apiyo liked to tell customers the price of items. Odongo would pack the items that customers bought.

A boy, a girl and a woman drinking tea together.

Komaandero weyuva ovo va pwena pamwe otee yachai. Ovo wina va vatera ina omukurukaze okuvara ovimariva mbya munu.

At the end of the day they drank chai tea together. They helped grandmother to count the money she earned.

A girl wearing a new sweater and a boy wearing a new cap next to a woman holding lots of luggage.

Nungwari inga omayuva womasuviro ya kapita tjimanga nu imba ovanatje va sokuyaruka kotjihuro rukwao. Nyar-Kanyada wa yandja okakepa ku Ondogo nokandjesi ku Apiyo. Eye we ve pa ovikurya vyondjira.

But too soon the holidays were over and the children had to go back to the city. Nyar-Kanyada gave Odongo a cap and Apiyo a sweater. She packed food for their journey.

A boy and girl hugging a man standing next to a woman with her arms open wide.

Ihe tje ya okuvepaha tjandje kave na okuvanga okuyenda. Ovo va hekena Nyar-Kanyada kutja ma yende pu na vo kotjihuro. Eye wa yorayora na tja, “Ami mba kurupa okuyenda kotjihuro. Ami me mu undju kutja mu kotoke kotjirongo tjandje rukwao.”

When their father came to fetch them, they did not want to leave. The children begged Nyar-Kanyada to go with them to the city. She smiled and said, “I am too old for the city. I will be waiting for you to come to my village again.”

A boy and girl hugging a woman tightly.

Odongo na Apiyo ve rivaranga mu ye oupame nu ave virikiza.

Odongo and Apiyo both hugged her tightly and said goodbye.

A boy and girl talking with school friends.

Odongo na Apiyo tji va yaruka kosikore va kaserekarera ohunga nomuinyo wovirongo vyokozombanda. Ovanatje tjiva aave munu kutja omuinyo wotjihuro ombu ri omuwa. Varwe aave munu kutja omuinyo wokozombanda ombu ri omuwa. Nungwari ovengi vavo, va muna kutja Odongo na Apiyo ve na ina omukurukaze omuwa!

When Odongo and Apiyo went back to school they told their friends about life in the village. Some children felt that life in the city was good. Others felt that the village was better. But most of all, everyone agreed that Odongo and Apiyo had a wonderful grandmother!

Written by: Violet Otieno

Illustrated by: Catherine Groenewald

Translated by: Angelika Tjoutuku & Asnath Mundjindjiri

Language: Otjiherero

Level: Level 4

Source: Holidays with grandmother from African Storybook

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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