Back to stories list
Regular PDFs (full-page)
Bilingual PDFs
Booklet PDFs (for printing)
Maraming problema ang aming nayon. Mahaba ang pila sa pag-igib ng tubig kasi iisa lang ang gripo.
My village had many problems.
We made a long line to fetch water from one tap.
Mon village avait beaucoup de problèmes. Nous faisions la queue pour aller chercher de l’eau d’un seul robinet.
Naghihintay lang kami ng pagkaing donasyon galing sa iba.
We waited for food donated by others.
Nous attendions la nourriture donnée par les autres.
Maaga kaming nagsasara ng bahay dahil may magnanakaw.
We locked our houses early because of thieves.
Nous barrions nos maisons tôt à cause des voleurs.
Maraming bata ang tumitigil sa pag-aaral.
Many children dropped out of school.
Plusieurs enfants avaient abandonné l’école.
Pumapasok naman bilang katulong ang mga dalaga sa ibang nayon.
Young girls worked as maids in other villages.
Les jeunes filles travaillaient comme domestiques dans d’autres villages.
May mga binatang istambay at pagala-gala habang tumutulong ang iba sa bukid.
Young boys roamed around the village while others worked on people’s farms.
Les jeunes garçons se promenaient autour du village pendant que d’autres travaillaient sur des fermes.
Kumakalat ang basura kung saan-saan kapag malakas ang hangin.
When the wind blew, waste paper hung on trees and fences.
Quand le vent soufflait, des déchets de papier pendaient des arbres et des clôtures.
Nasusugatan ang ilan dahil sa bubog na tinapon na lang basta.
People were cut by broken glass that was thrown carelessly.
Les gens se faisaient couper par de la vitre brisée lancée sans faire attention.
Isang araw, nawalan ng tubig ang gripo at hindi kami nakapag-igib.
Then one day, the tap dried up and our containers were empty.
Puis un jour, le robinet se tarit et nos conteneurs étaient vides.
Pinuntahan ni tatay ang bawat isa sa kanilang bahay para tawagin ang isang pulong.
My father walked from house to house asking people to attend a village meeting.
Mon père marcha de maison en maison et demanda aux gens de participer à une réunion du village.
Nagtipon ang mga tao sa ilalim ng malaking puno.
People gathered under a big tree and listened.
Les gens se rassemblèrent sous un grand arbre et écoutèrent.
Tumayo si tatay sa harap, “Kailangan nating magtulong-tulong para malutas ang mga problema.”
My father stood up and said, “We need to work together to solve our problems.”
Mon père se leva et dit, « Nous devons travailler ensemble pour résoudre nos problèmes. »
“Tutulong akong maglinis,” sigaw ng walong taon na si Juma habang nakaupo sa putol na puno.
Eight-year-old Juma, sitting on a tree trunk shouted, “I can help with cleaning up.”
Juma, âgée de huit ans et assise sur un tronc d’arbre, cria, « Je peux aider à nettoyer. »
“Magtatanim kaming mga babae ng makakain,” sabi ng isang ale.
One woman said, “The women can join me to grow food.”
Une femme dit, « Les femmes peuvent me joindre pour faire pousser de la nourriture. »
“Maghuhukay kaming mga lalaki para makahanap ng balon,” sabi naman ng isang mama.
Another man stood up and said, “The men will dig a well.”
Un autre homme se leva et dit, « Les hommes creuseront un puits. »
“Magbabagong buhay tayo,” sigaw naming lahat. Iyon nga ang aming ginawa.
We all shouted with one voice, “We must change our lives.”
From that day we worked together to solve our problems.
Nous criions tous d’une seule voix, « Nous devons changer nos vies. » Depuis ce jour, nous avons travaillé ensemble pour résoudre nos problèmes.
Written by: Ursula Nafula
Illustrated by: Vusi Malindi
Translated by: Arlene Avila
Read by: La Trinidad Mina
