Ou o Khalai. Yee okuna edula heyali. Edina laye olina efatululo melaka layr loshi Lubukusu taliti ‘ounambili’.
This is Khalai. She is seven years old. Her name means ‘the good one’ in her language, Lubukusu.
Khalai apenduka ndele tapopi nomuti womulemuna. “Muti ove womulemuna, alikana kula uninge omuti munene ndele totupe oyiimati yomalemuna yapya nawa”
Khalai wakes up and talks to the orange tree. “Please orange tree, grow big and give us lots of ripe oranges.”
Khalai okwaya kofikola. Mondjila okwa popya nomwiidi. “Mwiidi ove, alikana kula waziza nawa ndele inokukuta nande”
Khalai walks to school. On the way she talks to the grass. “Please grass, grow greener and don’t dry up.”
Khalai okwa pita peenemo deengala. “Engala onye shenekeni ame ndishiive ndimutule meexwiki daye.
Khalai passes wild flowers. “Please flowers, keep blooming so I can put you in my hair.”
Kofikola, Khalai otapopi nomuti uli pokati koluumbo. “Muti ove, oitayi yoye naikule ininge yakula fyee tushiive tu leshelemo momudile wayo”.
At school, Khalai talks to the tree in the middle of the compound. “Please tree, put out big branches so we can read under your shade.”
Khalai tapopi noumeno vadingunuka oluumbo lofikola. “Kuleni nyee mukale mwakola mudule mukelele ovalongi vominyonene veheuye meni”.
Khalai talks to the hedge around her school. “Please grow strong and stop bad people from coming in.”
Eshi Khlai aalukila keumbo, okwaya komuti womulemuna. “Oyiimati yoye inaipya natango” Khalai tapula.
When Khalai returns home from school, she visits the orange tree. “Are your oranges ripe yet?” asks Khalai.
“Omalemune natango omatwima omafo” Khalai telipopile. “Mongula ogangi kutalelepo muti ove womulemuna” Khalai osho atya. Kashiimba efimbo olo otokala watulako omalemuna apya!
“The oranges are still green,” sighs Khalai. “I will see you tomorrow orange tree,” says Khalai. “Perhaps then you will have a ripe orange for me!”
Ursula Nafula
Jesse Pietersen
Fritz David
Oshikwanyama
Level 2
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