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

Can sa ǁkae ǀxoa mama Holidays with grandmother

Violet Otieno

Catherine Groenewald

Cwi Debe

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

Ju|’hoansi

Level 4

A man walking between a boy and girl all smiling.

Odongo sa Apiyo ǃxoana ǀxoa sa ba. Sa se ǃ’an cansih. ǀOa o tca skore te sin ǃ’o te si u se sih txunsin. Ha ǃxoana tjuǀ’hoa kxae ǁ’au he to’oma tcaq’a nǃa’an.

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 sa Apiyo ǃkasih nǀang khama sa te ka ua sa txun. Gǀua o kxaice sa ǁkaeǁkae ǀ’an sa txun ua tjuǀho. Siǃa ǀoa tza gǀua to’a te nǂoahn ǁaq’in nǃa’an ko can tci ooa.

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.

Nǃo’oma ko ǀama ǁua, siǃa nǁahn tjuǀho te u ǀxoa siǃa ba uto ko nǃom gǃorisih, nǃarih ǂaun tzi ǃhamh kota tiǃahinasih. Siǃa nǁaqara utosi sa siǃa ǂuan te ge’e.

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.

ǁAma ka din nǃang da’abi ǁ’huin te kare tza.

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

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

Ba gaqmtsau Odongo kota Apiyo ka si tsia tjuǀho. Sa ho cua sa txun Nyar-Kanyada, ko ǂua ǃo ka ha cua ǃaihn din te can. Ha koh o dshaua gǀaoh he ǀ’hom.

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 nǂai ǁau ntzi siǃa ko tjunǀang te siǃa ge’e ka dxjani ka zoq’uin. Ha ǃomasin ǃkasih nǀang te sa ǀ’an ha ko xaro sa ǁama dorpa khoea.” Odongo koe nǁae. “A’a, mi xaro o kxaice!” Apiyo koe nǁae.

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.

ǁAma ka ha ǃ’oa xaro toa Nyar-Kanyada ǀ’an ǀxae ko ha ǃomasih ko ǃ’hao tciooa.

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

A boy and girl outside chasing butterflies and birds.

ǁAma Odongo kota Apiyo gǃa’ia tzi. Sa ǃxoe dhadhaba kota tzama mh.

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.

Sa ǂxuru ǃahain ka khu taqma gǃu ǃka.

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

A boy and girl falling asleep eating dinner.

Ka khoe kxoni sa ua ǃaoh ǁ’a sa gǀae ‘m gǀu ‘m-a. Sa ǀoa ‘m toan te ǁ’huin te kare tza!

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.

ǀAm-a ǁua, da’abi ǁ’a hi ba nǁahn ǀxoa da’abi ko si txun te ua dorpa te siǃa sin ge ǀxoa siǃa txun 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 sa Apiyo huia sa txun ko ǃaoh tciasi. Sa za gǃu te du da’a. Sa ǁkaeǁkae khukhu nǃuusi te khau nǃuubu ko ǁxara nǃang.

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 nǃaroh ha ǃomasi ko marisoan nǀoan ka ‘m ǀxoa ǃha. Ha nǂaisea sa ko tca sa o nǀoan gǃaq’i ka ‘m ǀxoa ǁ’aua ku’u ha ǀ’ae.

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.

Nǃooma nǀui Odongo ǁae gumi te ua tzi te gǀae nǂai ‘m. Te hi ǃaah gǃa’ama ǃaoha to’oma si. Te farama kxao taun ǀxoa Odongo. Te ko ha te nǂai ‘m a ha ǁxara ko gumi. ǀAm-a to’a ǁ’a ha dinnǃanga okaa, ǃhoanma to’a du te gumi ka ǀoa ce ka gǃa’ama tih.

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.

ǀAm dorea ǁua, da’abi u ǀxoa Nyar-Kanyada ko nǂaiǁ’amakhoea. Ha koh kxae nǃu’ubu sa o nǂaiǁ’ama gasi, zo kota gǂoah. Apiyo ko kaice are ǃoa ǁ’ama kxaosi ko ka ǂania. Odongo paka tcisa ǁ’amakxoasi ǁ’ama.

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.

ǀAma-a o toansi siǃa tcam ǁkae ti. Te sa hui sa txun ka nǁaq’ara ǀ’an mari sa ha hoa ǁ’amakhoea.

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.

Xabe kua okaa skore ǃ’oan te da’abi ǂ’aun ua dorpa. Nyar-Kanyada ǀ’an Odongo ko ǁah te ǀ’an Apiyo ko jesima. Te pakah ǀ’an sia ko nǃama ‘m-asi.

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.

Ka sa ba ce gǀae ǁ’a ha gǀae nǀhui sa, sa ǀoa kare nǁah. Sa ǀxom Nyar-Kanyada te ko ha ǁxam siǃa nǀang siǃa ua dorpa. Te ha zoma te ko, “Mi kaice gǂah ǂauan dorpa. Mi ǃhaia itsa ko ka itsa ce tsia mi ko tjuǀho.”

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 sa Apiyo waqntsa nǃahma gǀaoha ha te ko ǁau ge.

Odongo and Apiyo both hugged her tightly and said goodbye.

A boy and girl talking with school friends.

Ka Odongo sa Apiyo ce ua skore sa gǀae ǃoa sa ǂarasih ko ǀxoa o tjuǀho ga. Da’abi gesi ǂ’ang te ko dorpa ǀxoa te jan. Xabe siǃa gesin ko tjuǀho ǀxoa te jan. Xabe siǃa waqnhe zaihn te ko Odongo kota Apiyo kxae txun jan.

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: Cwi Debe

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

Language: Ju|’hoansi

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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