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A girl and a woman in a field and a zebra and a giraffe nearby.

ǁA’a ma tzema: Nǂoahn o Wangari Maathai ma A Tiny Seed: The Story of Wangari Maathai

Written by Nicola Rijsdijk

Illustrated by Maya Marshak

Translated by Fanie

Read by Cwi Debe, Gǂkao J. B. Kxao, Kaqece Khallie N!ani, Kileni A. Fernando, Sylvia Fernandu, Tsemkxao Cwi

Language Ju|’hoansi

Level Level 3

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A girl and a woman in a field and a zebra and a giraffe nearby.

Tjuǀho ma gea nǃom ǂahma nǃang ko Kenya Afrika ǁ’Haitzi. Dshauma nǂhao ǀxoa ha taqe ko tzi. Ha ǃu koh o 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.


A girl scattering seeds in a food garden.

Wangari koh kaice are ku oa tzi. Ha juasi ‘msi ǁxara nǃang ha du soahn ǀxoa kxa ko katana. Ha ǂ’huin ǀ’ua ǁa’a ma tzema ko kxa khuisi.

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.


A girl standing in a field at sunset.

ǁ’A’ea ha koh kaice area ǀam nǃang koh sin o ǁ’ae to’a he ǀam nǂ hao, ko ǁ’aea to’a he khoe ka jo he ju ǀoa ǁau se ǃaihnsi, Wangari koh ǃ’han tca ka te o ǁ’aea o tjuǀhoa ua. Ha ka ǃkan nǃama ma ka ǁxari gǀuisi, ka sin ǁae ǀxoa ǃxom ka ǂaun.

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.


A girl and a boy holding hands in a field.

Wangari koh o da’ama koh kaice kxae ǂ’ang te sin nǃo’o ǀ’an skore ua. Te ha ba sa ha taqe koh kare ka ha cinniha gea tjuǀho he hui sa. ǁ’Aea ha kurisi o seve, ha ǃo nǃa’an gǃaqari ha taqe sa ha ba ǁ’a kxoe he ha ua skore.

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.


A book open to a map of the world and a pencil.

Ha are nǃaroh! Wangari ku nǃaroh tca gǀaoh ko ǂxanu wece sa ha nǁaqara. Ha koh kaice du tca jan ko nǃarohsi te kahin ha ǃ’au ha ǀ’ae ǁ’a ha u nǃaroha United States of America. Wangari ǃka tsau! Te ha kare ǁau ǃ’han kxaǀho ko nǃore nǃang.

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.


A magnifying glass and a flower.

Ko University he o America Wangari nǃaroh tci zesin sa ǂhai. Ha nǃaroh ǃaihnsi kosin tca ka oo ǃ’ama. Te sin ǂ’ang tca ha oo ǃ’ama: kuisa ha kosin ha ǃosin koh oo kuia ǃaihn ǃharisi ko Kenyan gǃuiasi.

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.


A girl sitting reading thinking of home.

Tca ha ku oo nǃaroh ua, ha ku oo ǂ’ang ce ua tca ha oo are Kenya juasi. Ha kare ka si ge tca jan he koqe. Ko tcin to’a he ha oo nǃaroh ua, o tca ha oo ǂ’ang ce ua ha tjuǀho 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.


A gazelle.

ǁ’Aea ha nǃaroh toan, ha ce ua Kenya. Te tia ha nǃore mani. Farama sa ǃaea ǁa’ike gea ha kxaǀho. Dshausi ǁa’ike ǀoa nǃo’o ka ho da’a ko ka si ǃhu. Ju ka gǁahkhoesi te da’abi ku nǁum ǃ’an.

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.


Two women planting trees.

Wangari ǃ’han tca ha du. Ha nǃaroha dshausi ko tca ju o ǁxara ǃaihn ǁa’asi. Dshausi nǂai ǁ’ama ǃaihnsi ka ho mari sa si nǂai ǀxoa si juasi. Te kahin dshau nǀui waqnhe kxae ǃka nǀ’ang. Wangari hui siǃa nǀa’ng kxoe siǃa xabe kxae ta’amsa o tca siǃa te kxae gǀaoh.

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.


A variety of trees.

Te ka ǁ’aesi ǂaun, ǃaihn zesin gǃa’ia gǃaihn gǃu, te ǃxum cete coa te nǂhao. Wangari ǁ’a ha nǂoahan ǁhama Afrika wece. ǁA’ike ǃaihn sa o gǃaitsao nǃu’ubisi gǃa’ia Wangari ǁ’a ha ǁxara.

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.


A woman surrounded by trees.

Wangari ǁkoa tca gǀaoh. Jusa ge nǃore nǃang wece ǃ’han ha tci oa, te ǀ’an ha ko nǀuma gǀaoha jan. Ka ǃ’aua ka ǀ’ae ko Nobel Peace Prize, te hahin koh dshaua o kxaice ko Afrika he kxae ka.

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.


A butterfly flying near a beautiful tree.

Wangari ǃaia 2011, Te tia mǃa ciniha ku ǂ’ang ha ko ǁ’ae wece sa mǃa se ǃaihn ǀ’hom sa ke.

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


Written by: Nicola Rijsdijk
Illustrated by: Maya Marshak
Translated by: Fanie
Read by: Cwi Debe, Gǂkao J. B. Kxao, Kaqece Khallie N!ani, Kileni A. Fernando, Sylvia Fernandu, Tsemkxao Cwi
Language: Ju|’hoansi
Level: Level 3
Source: A Tiny Seed: The Story of Wangari Maathai from African Storybook
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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