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

Epwizimuko kumwe nomama Holidays with grandmother

Written by Violet Otieno

Illustrated by Catherine Groenewald

Translated by Anna Sengumbe

Language Rukwangali

Level Level 4

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

A man walking between a boy and girl all smiling.

Odongo na Apiyo kwa tungire mositata kumwe no tate vawo.Awo kwa haferere epato.Kapisi morwa yeeyi asi sure kwa pete, nye morwa kwa zire va ka dingure omama vawo wovakadi.Omama vawo kwa tungire momukunda omu mwakara ediva lyenene lyakara nonomfi.

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 na Apiyo kwavhefe unene morwa siruwo so ku ka dingura hena omama vawo. Komeho ga sike ogo Masiku, kwarongerere nondjato dawo va liwapayikire rugendo oro rorure rokuza komukunda gomama vawo. Awo kapi va vhulire kurara ntani kwa kere tava uyunga masiku mudima kuhamena epwizumuko lyawo.

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.

Ngurangura zoku kwamako, makura tava zi komukunda metuwa lyotate vawo. Awo kwa pitire nzira zonondundu, tava mono yikorama yomowiza ntani yimeno yo tee. Awo kwa varwire matuwa nokudimba nonsumo.

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.

Konyima zosiruwo, vanona kwa ya rorokere makura tava rara.

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

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

Oguhwe kwa pindwire Odongo na Apiyo asi va ya siki momukunda. Awo kwa ya gwene Nyar-Kanyada moLuo, kutanta asi ‘mukadona govantu wo Kanyada.’ Age kwa kere mukadona gononkondo ntani gomuwa.

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 kwa va tambwire membo, ntani tava dana oku tava dimbi noruhafo monzugo. Vatekuru vendi kwa hefe unene apa ava vamu pere mauhwi aga va rende kositata. “Pomuhowo paturureni uhwi wange.” yimo ga uyungire Odongo. “Hawe, uhwi wange nauhova!” yimo ga uyungire Apiyo.

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.

Apa ga mene kupaturura mauhwi, Nyar-Kanyada kwa tungikire vatekuru vendi morupe ropampo.

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

A boy and girl outside chasing butterflies and birds.

Makura Odongo na Apiyo tava zi ponze. Awo kwa ka tjidire mambimbidi noyidira.

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.

Awo kwa rondere koyitji ntani kwa linagerere mema gemediva.

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

A boy and girl falling asleep eating dinner.

Apa lya sovaganene yiyo va tengwire kembo va ka lye murarero. Komeho va mane ku lya, awo nare vana ponyoka.

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.

Ezuva lyokukwamako, oguhwe wovanona tava singi va tengureko ko sitata ano vanona tava va sigi nye vakare kumwe na 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 and Apiyo kwa vatere omama vawo noyirugana yemembo, kwa ka vhetere mema ntani noku ka tjava yitare. Awo kwa ka simbire mauta koyinhunhwa ntani kwa toragwire mahako gosinamahako mosikunino

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 kwa rongere vatekuru vendi omu ava tereke yisima yo ugali va lye nomberera. Age kwava likidire omu ava ninki roso zo coconut va zi lye nonomfi dokudosa.

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.

Ngurangura zimwe, Odongo kwa kalisire nongombe domama vawo. Ado kwa dukilire mofarama zo va musinda vawo. Munafarama kwa handukilire Odongo. Age kwa mu tjilisire asi ta kwata nongombe morwa dina li mbuto zendi. Kutunda ezuva olyo, mumati yipo ga kere nosinka asi da ha mu retera hena udigu.

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.

Ezuva limwe, vanona kwa zire kumwe na Nyar-Kanyada kositanda. Age kwa kere nevango apa nga randesere yikwahidi, suka, ntani no mfewa. Apiyo kwa here kutantera varandi mukoso goyirandeswa. Odongo yige nga rongere yirandeswa eyi ngava randa varandi.

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.

Kouhura wezuvha awo kwa ninwe chai tea kumwe. Awo ngava vatere omama vawo kuvarura yimaliwa eyi vana gwana mo.

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.

Nye karuwogona tupu kokasesu epwizumuko lina pu, vanona tava tengurako ko sitata. Nyar-Kanyada kwa pere Odongo embare ntani Apiyo kwa mupere mbindja. Age kwa varongerere nondja dokusimba morugendo rwawo.

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.

Apa va wizire oguhwe va ya va simbe, kapi va here kuza. Vanona tava likwambere Nyar-Kanyada asi ngano vaze kumwe nage kositata. Age tamenyuna ntani ta uyunga asi, “Ame nakurupa kapisi goku kara mo sitata. Ame tani mu ndindire simpe ngomu wize hena komukunda gwange.”

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 na Apiyo navenye tava mulidingire unene ntani tava uyunga asi mbaa.

Odongo and Apiyo both hugged her tightly and said goodbye.

A boy and girl talking with school friends.

Odongo na Apiyo apa vatengwire kosure tava ka tantera vakaume vawo kuhamena eparu lyo komukunda. Vanona vamwe awo kwa li zuvhire asi eparu lyomodoropa ewa. Ano vamwe kwa lizuvhire asi eparu lyokomukunda hansako. Nye sinzi sawo, kwa lizuvasanene asi Odongo na Apiyo kwa kara nomana vawo wovawa

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: Anna Sengumbe
Language: Rukwangali
Level: Level 4
Source: Holidays with grandmother from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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