Okutjaara mOzambezi Swimming in the Zambezi
Imelda Lyamine, Albius Chunga Mulisa, Maria Simasiku, Florence Habayemi Shitaa
Kleopas Jambeinge
Otjiherero
Level 4
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Owo ya ri omahatenya nga hanyanya nawa. Ovasukona va Lusese va ri ava woronganene kehi yomuti imbwi Omusikili mOkapirivi.
It was a bright sunny Sunday afternoon. The young girls in Lusese were gathering under the branches of the biggest Musikili tree in Caprivi.
Omaraka wondjoroka yavo aaye zuvaka apehe motjirongo. Ovo aave isana omapanga wavo. “Nakamwu, ami me ku undju.” “Chaze hakahana.” “Silume! Indjo!”
The excited buzz of their voices was heard all over the village. They called their friends. “Nakamwu, I’m waiting for you.” “Hurry up, Chaze.” “Silume! Come on!”
Maria aa yevayeva Ntwala. Ntwala ongwee ve twara kokukatjaara Osondaha aihe. “Ntwala! Ntwaleee! Ntwalaaa! Ntwalooo!” eye wa isana.
Maria looked around for Ntwala. Ntwala took them swimming every Sunday. “Ntwala! Ntwalee! Ntwalaaa! Ntwaloo!” she called.
Ntwala wa ravaera okuza munda mbwina wotjirongo. “Owami ngwi! Me undju eṋe.” Ovakazona avehe va tupuka ku ye.
Ntwala shouted from the other side of the village, “I’m here! I’m waiting for you.” All the girls ran to find her.
“Ndino mwa rongere mamu vanga okukatjaara?” Ntwala we ve pura. “Ii,” ovo va ravaerere nondjoroka ngunda auhe ama tukatukire kokarama kumwe.
“Are you ready to go swimming today?” Ntwala asked them. “Yes,” they shouted happily as they hopped and jumped with excitement.
Ngunda amave kawondja okuyenda konḓonḓu Ntwala we ve serekarera ovihambarere. “Tu serekarera ihi tjotjirongo tjetu tji tja pupirwe, ovo va ningira. “Tu serekarera ohunga na Kahaandje na Kaima.”
As they walked to the river Ntwala told them stories. “Tell us about when our village was flooded,” they called. “Tell us about the Jackal and the Baboon.”
Meṋe yonḓonḓu pa ri nOmurunga omunene omutwezu. Ovakazona va uta okupahera Ntwala erunga indi enenenene.
Beside the river there was an enormous Marula tree. The girls looked for the biggest marula fruit for Ntwala.
“Ami mba munu indi enenenene,” Joy wa ravaera. Eye wa yandja erunga re ku Ntwala.
“I’ve got the biggest,” shouted Joy. She gave her marula fruit to Ntwala.
“Naa kaendee mu katjaare,” Ntwala wa raera imba ovakazona. Ovo va tupuka okukahita momeva ngunda amave ṱinaṱina nokuura indu outarazu womeva wonḓonḓu ya Zambezi tji we ve ṱunu kotutu.
“Off you go and swim,” said Ntwala to the girls. They all ran into the water, shrieking and giggling as they felt the cold water of the Zambezi River.
Ntwala wa kurama pomukuro wonḓonḓu. Eye ma tjevere ozongandu. Ma tarerere ovakazona imba ovanene tji mave tupuka orena nokuriumba momeva. Ma tarere ovakazona imba ovaṱiṱi tji mave tono ombaka momeva nokurihonga okutjaara.
Ntwala stood on the bank. She watched for crocodiles. She watched the older girls racing and diving. She watched the younger girls splashing and learning to swim.
“Nai oruveze rwotjirarakaneno,” korusenina eye wa ravaere. “Kuramee moruteto” Eye wa tooora erunga indi enenenene. Eye we ri umbu momeva kokure pa yandera.
“Competition time,” she shouted at last. “Stand in a line.” She picked up the biggest marula fruit. She threw it as far as she could into the water.
Iimwe, imbari, indatu. TWENDEE! Ovanatje va tukupka komeva nave tjaara okuyenda kerunga. Ntwala ee ve tarere.
“One, two, three. GO!” she called. The children ran into the water and swam to the marula fruit. Ntwala watched them.
“Owami omutenga!” Maria na Chaze va ravaerere tjimwe. “Amuyevari oweṋe ovatenga,” Ntwala wa ravaera.
“I’m first!” shouted Maria and Chaze at the same time. “You are both first,” called Ntwala.
“Ami me vanga otjirarakaneno tjomatjaaerero tji ka yende rukwao,” Maria wa tja. “Pe ri nawa!” Chaze wa tja. “Ngatu tjite nao, Ntwala?” ovakazona imba ovarwe va ningire.
“I want to race again,” said Maria. “OK!” said Chaze. “Can we, Ntwala?” asked the other girls.
“Kuramee moruteto,” Ntwala we ve raere. Eye wa toora erunga na umbu kokure pa yandera.
“Stand in line again,” Ntwala told them. She picked up a marula fruit and threw it as far as she could.
“Iimwe, imbari, indatu. TWENDEE!” eye wa ravaere. Ovanatje va purukutire momeva nave tupuka kerunga. Ntwala ee ve tarere.
“One, two, three. GO!” she called. The children ran into the water and swam to the marula fruit. Ntwala watched them.
“Owami omutenga!” Chaze wa ravaere. Maria a zu ko kokutjaara. “Chaze wa taara,” Ntwala wa tja. “Wa ungura nawa tjinene, Chaze. Nambano opuwo ngatu yende konganda.”
“I’m first!” shouted Chaze. Maria stopped swimming. “Chaze is the winner,” said Ntwala. “Well done, Chaze. Let’s go home now.”
Ovanatje va kaenda konganda pamwe na Ntwala. “Tu serekarera ovihambarere, Ntwala,” ovo va ningira. Ovo va suvera okupuratena ovihambarere.
The children walked home with Ntwala. “Tell us a story, Ntwala,” they asked. They loved to listen to her stories.
Maria wa honinine Chaze okuza kongotwe ne mu undurire pehi. Chaze wa uta okurira. “Ina ya Chaze me ku tono,” Joy wa raere Maria.
Maria crept up behind Chaze and pushed her to the ground. Chaze started to cry. “Chaze’s mother will beat you,” said Joy to Maria.
“Maria! Ongwaye tji wa tono Chaze? Ntwala wa pura, “Eye wa taara mokutjaara. Kape kaendere nawa,” Maria wa tja.
“Maria! Why did you hit Chaze?” asked Ntwala. “She won at swimming. It’s not fair,” Maria said.
Ntwala wa ningira ovakazona avehe okuhaama motjiwongo. “Otjiuru tjosikore tje tu raera kutja vi?” eye wa pura. “Kanawa okurwa. Ovandu mbe rwa ve sokuverwa,” Nakamwu wa tja.
Ntwala asked all the girls to sit in a circle. “What did the principal tell us?” she asked. “It’s bad to fight. People who fight must be punished,” said Nakamwu.
“Maria nga ningire ondjesiro,” Namasiku wa tja. “Chaze nga yarure omatoneno ngo mu ye,” Joy wa tja. “Kako, kanawa okutonasana,” Ntwala wa tja.
“Maria must say sorry,” said Namasiku. “Chaze must hit her back,” said Joy. “No, it is wrong to hit each other,” said Ntwala.
Ntwala wa tja, “Ami me munu kutja Maria Osondaha ndji mai ya ka sokukatjaara.” Maria wa rira omipupo vyomahoze. “Ndji… ndji… ndji isira Chaze. Ndji isira tji mbe ku hihamisa. Ami hi mee roro okuhihamisa omundu rukwao,” eye we riyaya.
Ntwala said, “I think Maria should miss swimming next Sunday.” Maria cried a flood of tears. “I… I… I’m sorry Chaze. I’m sorry I hit you. I’ll never hit anyone again,” she apologised.
“Ami mbe ku isire,” Chase wa tja ne ri varanga mu Maria. Eṱe na Maria matu i pamwe koyeṋu,” Ntwala wa tja ku Chaze. “Maria wina ma sokukaningira ondjesiro ku mamaa woye.”
“I forgive you,” said Chaze and put her arm around Maria. “Maria and I will come home with you,” said Ntwala to Chaze. “Maria will apologise to your mother too.”
Maria wa tja ku ina ya Chaze, “Ami mba hihamisa Chaze mena rokutja wa taara orena. Ndji isira. Chaze epenga randje, kari nawa okumuhihamisa.”
Maria told Chaze’s mother, “I hit Chaze because she won the race. I’m sorry. Chaze is my friend, it was bad to hit her.”
Oserekaze Sibungo ya puratene ku Maria. “Ove wa zunḓa Maria, kanawa okuhihamisa ovandu. Ami mbe ki isire.” Oserekaze Sibungo ya raere Ntwala, “Oove omunane omuwa.”
Mrs. Sibungo listened to Maria. “That was wrong Maria, it is bad to hit people. Thank you for apologising to me. I forgive you.” Mrs. Sibungo told Ntwala, “You are a good leader.”
Mrs Sibungo wa hungire ku na ovanatje avehe. “Ntwala we ripura nomberero ombwa ku Maria. Eye wa hihamisa Chaze mena rokutja wa pandjara ombatasaneno yokutjaara. Okutja eye ke nakuuhara ama kara norupa mombatasaneno rukwao.”
Mrs. Sibungo spoke to all the children. “Ntwala thought of a good punishment for Maria. She hit Chaze because she lost the swimming race. Now she will not be able to race.”
Nu Mama,” Chaze wa meṱameṱa. Ami hi nakuvanga kutja Maria ma kare ponganda Osondaha. Me vanga kutja tu kapatasane mokutjaara rukwao!”
“But Mum,” Chaze smiled, “I don’t want Maria to stay at home next Sunday. I want to race her at the swimming next week too!”
Written by: Imelda Lyamine, Albius Chunga Mulisa, Maria Simasiku, Florence Habayemi Shitaa
Illustrated by: Kleopas Jambeinge
Language: Otjiherero
Level: Level 4
Source: Swimming in the Zambezi from African Storybook
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.