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A woman and children walking towards a river.

Okuyowa momulonga WaZambezi Swimming in the Zambezi

Written by Imelda Lyamine, Albius Chunga Mulisa, Maria Simasiku, Florence Habayemi Shitaa

Illustrated by Kleopas Jambeinge

Language Oshikwanyama

Level Level 4

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

Three girls standing under a tree.

Osha li Osoondaxa efimbo lomutenya. Ounona voukadona ova li va ongala momuti wa kula womusikili moCaprivi.

It was a bright sunny Sunday afternoon. The young girls in Lusese were gathering under the branches of the biggest Musikili tree in Caprivi.

Three girls talking.

Eendaka davo dehafo oda li di uditike momukunda aushe, eshi tava ifana omahewa avo. “Nakamwu, onde ku teelela.” “Chaze, endelela.” “Silume! Ila!”

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!”

Three girls walking on a path.

Maria okwa li ta kongo Ntwala. Ntwala oye he va twala va ka yowe Osoondaxa keshe. “Ntwala! Ntwalee! Ntwalaa! Ntwaloo!” ta ifana.

Maria looked around for Ntwala. Ntwala took them swimming every Sunday. “Ntwala! Ntwalee! Ntwalaaa! Ntwaloo!” she called.

A girl waving to another girl at a distance.

“Aame ou! Onde mu teelela,” Ntwala ta ingida okudilila kombinga ikwao yomukunda. Oukadona aveshe tava tondoka ve ke mu konge.

Ntwala shouted from the other side of the village, “I’m here! I’m waiting for you.” All the girls ran to find her.

A woman standing next to three children with their hands up.

“Owe lilongekida tuu oku ka yowa nena?” Ntwala te va pula. “Ehee,” tava ingida nehafo vo tava nuka nokundjobauka netimaumbwile.

“Are you ready to go swimming today?” Ntwala asked them. “Yes,” they shouted happily as they hopped and jumped with excitement.

A woman and children walking towards a river.

Eshi tava ende va yuka komulonga, ye Ntwala ote va hokololele omahokololo. “Tu hokololela eshi omukunda wetu wa li wa kungululwa po kefundja,” tava ingida. “Tu lombwela kombinga yaKavandje naLunghima.”

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.”

Children standing next to a tree beside a river.

Pomunghulo womulonga opa li omuti wa kula womwoongo. Oukadona ova kongela Ntwala eengongo edi da kula.

Beside the river there was an enormous Marula tree. The girls looked for the biggest marula fruit for Ntwala.

A child giving a marula fruit to a woman.

“Ondi na ei ya kula,” Joy ta ingida ye ta pe Ntwala ongongo.

“I’ve got the biggest,” shouted Joy. She gave her marula fruit to Ntwala.

Children jumping in a river.

“Indeni mu ka yowe,” Ntwala ta lombwele oukadona. Aveshe ova lotokela momeva tava yayaana, vo tava kwekweta eshi ve udite outalala womeva omulonga waZambezi.

“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.

A woman watching children swimming in a river.

Ntwala okwa li a fikama komutunda ta tale eengadu. Ota tale oukadona ava va kula eshi tava ningi omafiyafano, vo tava ningine. Okwa li yo ta tale oukadona ava vanini eshi tave liningile omeva, vo tave lihongo okuyowa.

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.

Children standing in a line, in a river.

“Efimbo lefiyafano,” osho a ingida. “Kaleni momutete.” Okwa kufa ongongo ei ya kula, ndee te i kupula momeva, kokule naana ngaashi ta dulu.

“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.

Children swimming in a river.

“Imwe, mbali, nhatu. Indeni!” ta ingida. Ounona ova lotokela momeva ndee tava yoo va yuka kongongo. Ntwala okwe va tala. “One, two, three. GO!” she called.

“One, two, three. GO!” she called. The children ran into the water and swam to the marula fruit. Ntwala watched them.

Two children with their hands up, in a river.

“Aame wotete!” Maria naChaze tava ingida oshita. “Nye amushe omwe ya oshita,” Ntwala ta i mo.

“I’m first!” shouted Maria and Chaze at the same time. “You are both first,” called Ntwala.

Children talking with a woman beside a river.

“Natango onda hala mefiyafano,” Maria ta ti. “Eewa!” Chaze osho a ti. “Ntwala, natu ye mo vali?” oukadona vakwao tava pula.

“I want to race again,” said Maria. “OK!” said Chaze. “Can we, Ntwala?” asked the other girls.

Children standing in a line, in a river.

“Natango fikameni momutete,” Ntwala te va lombwele. Okwa kufa ongongo, ndele te i kupula naana kokule ngaashi ta dulu.

“Stand in line again,” Ntwala told them. She picked up a marula fruit and threw it as far as she could.

Children swimming in a river.

“Imwe, mbali, nhatu. Indeni!” ta ingida. Ounona ova lotokela momeva ndee tava yoo va yuka kongongo. Ntwala okwe va tala.

“One, two, three. GO!” she called. The children ran into the water and swam to the marula fruit. Ntwala watched them.

Two girls standing in a river, one girl with her hands up.

“Aame wotete!” Chaze ta ingida. Maria kali ta yoo. “Chaze oye a findana,” Ntwala ta popi. “Owa ninga nawa Chaze, tu yeni keumbo.”

“I’m first!” shouted Chaze. Maria stopped swimming. “Chaze is the winner,” said Ntwala. “Well done, Chaze. Let’s go home now.”

Three children walking in front of a woman.

Ounona ova ya keumbo vo naNtwala. “Tu hepaululila ehepu, Ntwala,” tave mu pula. Ove hole okupwilikina komahepu aye.

The children walked home with Ntwala. “Tell us a story, Ntwala,” they asked. They loved to listen to her stories.

A girl pushing another girl to the ground.

Maria okwe li nyovaekela konima yaChaze noku mu undulila pedu. Chaze ta kwena. “Ina yaChaze ote ke ku denga,” Joy ta lombwele 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.

A woman talking to a girl on the ground crying and an angry-looking girl standing next to her.

“Maria! Oshike to dengele Chaze?” Ntwala ta pula. “Okwa findana eshi twa li hatu yoo. Kasha li pauyuki,” Maria ta ti.

“Maria! Why did you hit Chaze?” asked Ntwala. “She won at swimming. It’s not fair,” Maria said.

A woman and a group of girls sitting in a circle under a tree.

Ntwala okwa lombwela oukadona aveshe va kale omutumba va ninga ongonga. “Omukulunhufikola okwe tu lombwela shike?” ta pula. “Kashiwa okulidenga. Oonakulidenga otava handukilwa,” Nakamwu ta ti.

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.

Four tiles with a tree in the background, with one girl in each tile.

“Maria oku na okuyandja ombili,” Namasiku ta ti. “Chaze naave mu denga,” Joy ta ti. “Okulidenga kekuwa,” Ntwala ta ti.

“Maria must say sorry,” said Namasiku. “Chaze must hit her back,” said Joy. “No, it is wrong to hit each other,” said Ntwala.

A girl standing next to a group of girls sitting in a circle.

“MOsoondaxa tashi uya, Maria ita ka yowa vali,” Ntwala osho a ti. Maria ta kwena mokule, ye ta di omahodi mahapu. “Ombili, ombili, ombili Chaze. Ombili eshi nde ku denga. Itandi shi ningi vali,” ta yandje ombili.

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.

A girl with her arm around a girl crying, standing next to a woman and two other girls.

“Onde ku dimina po,” ta lombwele Maria, ye te mu papatele. “Ohatu ka yeni keumbo naMaria,” Ntwala ta lombwele Chaze. “Maria ota ka yandja yo ombili kumeme 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.”

A girl talking with a woman near a hut.

“Onda denga Chaze shaashi a fiya nge po mokuyowa. Ombili, Chaze okahewa kange, inashi yuka oku mu denga,” Maria ta lombwele ina yaChaze.

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.”

A woman and a girl talking to another woman.

Mee Sibungo okwa pwilikina Maria. “Olo okwa li epuko Maria, keshiwa okudenga ovanhu. Iyaloo eshi we shi hokololela nge. Onde ku dimina po.” Mee Sibungo okwa lombwela Ntwala, “Ove omuleli muwa.”

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.”

A woman talking to a group of sad-looking children.

Mee Sibungo okwa popya nounona aveshe ta ti, “Ntwala okwa konga ondunge iwa yokuhandukila Maria. Okwa denga Chaze shaashi ina findana mefiyafano lokuyowa. Ina ya mo vali momalifiyepo.”

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.”

A woman talking to a group of smiling children.

“Ndee Meme,” Chaze te limemesha, “Inandi hala Maria a kale peumbo Osoondaxa tai ya. Onda hala tu ka fiyafane po naye mokuyowa moshivike tashi uya.”

“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: Oshikwanyama
Level: Level 4
Source: Swimming in the Zambezi from African Storybook
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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