Ogu yige Khalai. Nomvhura dendi ntambali. Edina lyendi kutanta ‘gomuwa’ meraka lyawo lyoRulubukusu.
This is Khalai. She is seven years old. Her name means ‘the good one’ in her language, Lubukusu.
Khalai ana pinduka kuna kuuyungisa sitji souguni. “Nina kanderere sitji somaguni, kura yipo ngo tu pe maguni gomanzi gokupya.”
Khalai wakes up and talks to the orange tree. “Please orange tree, grow big and give us lots of ripe oranges.”
Khalai kugenda a ze kosure. Monzira zendi ta uyungire wayi. “Nina kanderere wayi, kura nokukara sinamahako wa ha kukuta.”
Khalai walks to school. On the way she talks to the grass. “Please grass, grow greener and don’t dry up.”
Khalai ta piti ponombya domowiza. “Nina kanderere nombya, temuneni ngorooro yipo ni mu ture monohuki dange.”
Khalai passes wild flowers. “Please flowers, keep blooming so I can put you in my hair.”
Posure, Khalai ta uyungisa sitji sopokatji keharango. “Nina kanderere sitji, kara nonomutayi dononene yipo ngatu resere monda zomundwire goge.”
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 ta uyungisa rugumbo rwa kundurukida sure zawo, “Nina kanderere kara nononkodo dokukondera vantu wovadona va ha hwilira monda zosure.”
Khalai talks to the hedge around her school. “Please grow strong and stop bad people from coming in.”
Apa ga tengwire Khalai kembo a tunde kosure, ta dingura sitji somaguni. “Maguni goge gana pi nare ndi?” yimo ga pulire Khalai.
When Khalai returns home from school, she visits the orange tree. “Are your oranges ripe yet?” asks Khalai.
“Maguni simpe mavihu,” yimo ga ga mwene Khalai.” Ngatu limona mungura sitji somaguni,” yimo ga uyungire Khalai. “Nampo ngani ya gwana ko eguni lyokupya!”
“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
Anna Sengumbe
Rukwangali
Level 2
