Iphupha lika Graca

Graça's mother is pregnant. With one hand on her belly, she gazes out at her barren village. A Mozambiquan flag droops from a pole in the distance.

U-Graça wayesezakuzalwa kwilali encinane ese Mozambique. Ilizwe lalihluphekile kwaye abantu babengekazilawuli. Abantwana babengenazo izikolo ezifanelekileyo kwaye uninzi lwabo lwalungakwazi ukufunda. Umama ka Graça wayenephupha lokunika abantwana bakhe amathuba abhetele. Kodwa ngaphandle kwemfundo ithemba lalilincinane.

Graça's pregnant mother and five siblings stand and cry by their father's sickbed. Their father dreams of his children reading.

Usana olungu Graça uzakuba ngumntwana wesithandathu. Kodwa ngesehlo esichulumancisayo kwakukho udano olukhulu. Utata wabo abamthandayo wayegulela ukufa. Wayenephupha lokuba intombi yakhe encinane kakhulu ingaya kwisikolo esifanelekileyo. Wayesazi ukuba imfundo ingamnika amathuba angazange yena abenawo. Usapho lwakhe lwathembisa iphupha likatata wakhe ukuba libeyinyaniso.

Little Graça sits on her mother's. Her mother reads a story.

Kwiiveki nje emva kokusweleka kukatata wabo, usana olutsha lwazalwa. Wanikwa igama elihambiselana nobuhle kunye nentsikelelo ebenayo – Graça. Njengokuba iminyaka igqitha, u-Graça weza novuyo olukhulu kusapho lwakhe kwaye basigcina isithembiso abasenzayo kutata wabo. U-Graça uzakufumana imfundo efanelekileyo.

Graça sits in the front row of a well-equipped classroom among white children. Her teacher stands before them.

U-Graça wazimisela kakhulu esikolweni kwaye njengolutsha wafumana isipho esasizakuguqula ubomi bakhe. Yayisisibonelelo ngemali yokufunda kwisikolo esityebileyo sasedolophini. Wabanephupha lokuba ngutitshala kwaye asebenzise imfundo yakhe ekufundiseni abanye abantu. Wayefuna abantwana base Mozambique yakhe ayithandayo ukuba bakwazi ukufunda kunye nokubhala. Wabanephupha lexesha apho bonke abantwana bengaya esikolweni.

A bespectacled Graça sits at a library desk surrounded by books.

U-Graça waqhuba kakuhle kakhulu kwesa sikolo sasedolophini nakwiminyaka elandelayo wasikeleleka kwakhona. Kwaba sesinye isibonelelo semali yokufunda eyunivesithi kude e-Portugal. Wadibana nabahlobo abatsha, wafunda iilwimi ezintsha kwaye wafunda iincwadi ezininzi. Walifezekisa iphupha lakhe lokuba ngutitshala.Konke oku kwamvuyisa kakhulu u-Graça. Kwakukho into enye kuphela eyayisamenza ukuba adakumbe…

Graça stands under the shade of a tree teaching women and children from the village.

Emva ekhaya abantu babengekakhululeki. Kodwa ngoku u-Graça wayenemfundo, ubuchule, kunye nethemba. Wayenabahlobo kananjalo ababenemvakalelo njengaye ngamalungelo abantwana ukuba bafunde. Ebezakusebenzisa ulwazi lwakhe kwaye asebenze nabahlobo. Bekunye babezakuzisa utshintsho e-Mozambique.

Happy citizens smile and wave Mozambiquan flags.

Ekugqibeleni ngoncedo lwabo bonkeabauhlobo bakhe, i-Mozambique yakhululeka!

Graça and Samora embrace on their wedding day. They dream of the house they will live in together.

Indoda eyakhethwa ukuba ikhokele ilizwe yabangumhlobo othandekayo ka Graçau-Samora Machel. Bathandana kwaye batshata.

The children with no books look sad. The children who have books are happy and proud.

U-Graça wanikwa umsebenzi obalulekileyo wokuqinisekisa ukuba bonke abantwana base Mozambique bafumana imfundo efanelekileyo. Yayingumsebenzi onzima kuba kwakukho abantwana abaninzi e-Mozambique ababengenako ukufunda. Wayesazi ukuba babefuna imfundo kwaye wayefuna ukwenza utshintsho lokwenyani kwilizwe lakhe. Waqalisa ngezikolo zamabanga aphantsi kwaye wathumela amakhwenkwe kunye namantombazana kumagumbi okufunda. Ukufunda yayilugqaliso lwakhe kunye nokunika abantwana iincwadi ezandleni.

Graça and Samora read to their two young children on the couch. In the distance a plane explodes on the tarmac.

U-Graça kunye no Samora babanabantwana ababini. Babelana ngephupha lokwenza iimpilo ezintle kusapho lwabo nakubantu baseMozambique. Babonwabile kwaye benethemba.

Usuku olubi kakhulu emva koko, u-Samora wasweleka kuntlitheko lwenqwelo-moya.

An older Graça and Nelson Mandela stand in the field with a group of happy children.

U-Graça wazilela u-Samora kangangeminyaka emininzi, kodwa wafumana uthando kwakhona. Wadibana nendoda eyachitha ubomi bayo kananjalo iphupha ngokuzisa inkululeko, ithemba kunye nemfundo kubantu bayo.

U-Graça watshata Nelson Mandela kwaye bekunye basebenzela ukunceda abantwana base Afrika.

Graça hands out books to the children of her village. Children can be seen reading everywhere.

Amaphupha ka Graça afezekiseka. Waba ngutitshala. Wabhiyozela inkululeko yelizwe lakhe. Wenza ukuba kubeyinyani kubantwana abaninzi ukuba bafumane imfundo, kunye namathuba okuphumelela izinto ezinkulu kakhulu kananjalo.

Nantsi incwadi, mntwana wam. Izakukhuthaza ukuba wenze ntoni?

Iphupha lika Graca

Graca's Dream in Xhosa

Created by Melissa Fagan, Karlien de Villiers, Marike le Roux

Translated into Xhosa by Bangula Lingo Centre

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