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

Un piccolo seme: la storia di Wangari Maathai A Tiny Seed: The Story of Wangari Maathai Une petite graine : l'histoire de Wangari Maathai

Written by Nicola Rijsdijk

Illustrated by Maya Marshak

Translated by Laura Pighini

Read by Sonia Pighini

Language Italian

Level Level 3

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

In un villaggio sulle colline del monte Kenya nel Africa dell’ Est, una bambina lavorava nei campi con sua madre. Il suo nome era 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.

Dans un village situé sur les flancs du Mont Kenya en Afrique de l’Est, une petite fille travaillait dans les champs avec sa mère. Son nom était Wangari.


A girl scattering seeds in a food garden.

Wangari adorava stare all’aria aperta. Nel suo orto di famiglia rompeva il terreno con il suo machete e schiacciava piccoli semini nel suo caldo suolo.

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.

Wangari aimait beaucoup être dehors. Dans le potager de sa famille, elle faisait des trous dans le sol avec sa machette. Elle enfouissait des petites graines dans la terre chaude.


A girl standing in a field at sunset.

Il suo momento preferito della giornata era subito dopo il tramonto. Quando diventava troppo buio per vedere le piante, Wangari sapeva che era ora di tornare a casa. Seguiva il sentiero tracciato attraverso i campi, attraversando i suoi fiumi.

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.

Son moment préféré de la journée était juste après le coucher du soleil. Quand il faisait trop nuit pour voir les plantes, Wangari savait qu’il était l’heure de rentrer à la maison. Pour rentrer, elle devait suivre des sentiers étroits à travers champs et traverser des rivières.


A girl and a boy holding hands in a field.

Wangari era una ragazza intelligente e non vedeva l’ora di andare a scuola. Ma sua madre e suo padre volevano che rimanesse a casa ad aiutarli. Quando compì sette anni, suo fratello maggiore persuase i suoi genitori a lasciarla andare a scuola.

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.

Wangari était une enfant intelligente et avait hâte d’aller à l’école. Mais sa mère et son père voulaient qu’elle reste à la maison pour les aider. Quand elle eut sept ans, son grand frère persuada ses parents de la laisser aller à l’école.


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

Adorava imparare! Wangari imparava sempre di più con ogni libro che leggeva. Era così brava a scuola che la invitarono a studiare negli Stati Uniti d’America. Wangari era così emozionata. Voleva imparare di più sul mondo.

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.

Elle aimait apprendre ! Wangari apprenait de plus en plus avec chaque livre qu’elle lisait. Elle travaillait si bien à l’école qu’elle fut invitée à étudier aux Etats Unis d’Amérique. Wangari était enthousiaste ! Elle voulait en savoir plus sur le monde.


A magnifying glass and a flower.

Nell’università americana, Wangari imparò tantissime cose nuove. Studiò le piante e come crescevano e si ricordò di come era cresciuta lei. Giocando con i suoi fratelli all’ombra degli alberi della bellissima foresta keniana.

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 l’université américaine, Wangari apprit beaucoup de choses nouvelles. Elle étudia les plantes et la manière dont elles grandissent. Et elle se rappela comment elle avait grandi : en jouant avec ses frères à l’ombre des arbres dans les magnifiques forêts du Kenya.


A girl sitting reading thinking of home.

Più imparava, più realizzava quanto amasse la gente del Kenya. Voleva che loro fossero felici e liberi. Più imparava, più si ricordava della sua casa africana.

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.

Plus elle apprenait, plus elle réalisait qu’elle aimait les habitants du Kenya. Elle voulait qu’ils soient heureux et libres. Plus elle apprenait, plus elle se rappelait son foyer africain.


A gazelle.

Quando finì gli studi, ritornò in Kenya, ma il suo paese era cambiato. Enormi aziende agricole si erano espanse per tutto il terreno. Le donne non avevano più legna per fare il fuoco da cucina. La gente era povera e i bambini avevano fame.

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.

Quand elle eut terminé ses études, elle retourna au Kenya. Mais son pays avait changé. De larges fermes s’étendaient à travers la campagne. Les femmes n’avaient plus de bois pour cuire les aliments. Les gens étaient pauvres et les enfants avaient toujours faim.


Two women planting trees.

Wangari sapeva cosa fare. Insegnò alle donne come piantare alberi dai semi. Le donne vendettero gli alberi e usarono i soldi per prendersi cura delle loro famiglie. Le donne erano molto felici. Wangari le aveva aiutate a sentirsi forti e potenti.

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.

Wangari savait ce qu’il fallait faire. Elle apprit aux femmes comment planter des arbres en utilisant des graines. Les femmes vendirent les arbres et utilisèrent l’argent pour faire vivre leurs familles. Les femmes étaient très heureuses. Wangari les avait aidées à se sentir puissantes et fortes.


A variety of trees.

Con il passare del tempo, i nuovi alberi diventarono foreste e i fiumi ripresero a scorrere. Il messaggio di Wangari si espanse per tutta l’Africa. Oggi, milioni di alberi sono cresciuti dai semi di Wangari.

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.

Avec le temps, les nouveaux arbres se transformèrent en forêts, et les rivières recommencèrent à couler. Le message de Wangari traversa toute l’Afrique. Aujourd’hui des millions d’arbres ont grandi grâce aux graines de Wangari.


A woman surrounded by trees.

Wangari lavorò duramente. Gente di tutto il mondo riconobbe il suo lavoro e le diedero un premio famosissimo, chiamato Premio Nobel per la Pace. Era la prima donna africana a riceverne uno.

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.

Wangari avait travaillé dur. Partout dans le monde, les gens s’en aperçurent et lui donnèrent un prix renommé. Il s’appelle le Prix Nobel de la Paix et elle fut la première femme africaine à le recevoir.


A butterfly flying near a beautiful tree.

Wangari morì nel 2011, ma possiamo pensare a lei ogni volta che vediamo un bellissimo albero.

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

Wangari mourut en 2011 mais nous pensons à elle à chaque fois que nous voyons un bel arbre.


Written by: Nicola Rijsdijk
Illustrated by: Maya Marshak
Translated by: Laura Pighini
Read by: Sonia Pighini
Language: Italian
Level: Level 3
Source: A Tiny Seed: The Story of Wangari Maathai from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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