Ukukhulela Edolobheni LaseAfrika

Izilinganiso zokwanda kwenani labantu emazweni aseAfrika angaseningizimu Sahara ziphakathi kweziphakeme kakhulu emhlabeni. Lapho owesifazane ngamunye, ngokwesilinganiso, uzala abantwana abangaphezu kwabayisithupha. Ubumpofu, indawo ezungezile eba yimbi ngokwengeziwe, nokuntuleka kwemicebo kumane nje kwenezela kulobubunzima. Nakhu ukulandisa komuntu siqu kwendlela ukuphila okuyiyo kuleyongxenye yomhlaba.

NGAKHULELA lapha, edolobheni eliyinhloko laseNtshonalanga Afrika. Sasingabantwana abayisikhombisa emkhayeni, kodwa ababili bashona besebancane. Ikhaya lethu kwakungamakamelo aqashiwe elokulala nelokuhlala. UMama noBaba babelala ekamelweni lokulala, futhi thina bantwana sasilala phansi komata ekamelweni lokuhlala, abafana kolunye uhlangothi lwekamelo futhi amantombazane kolunye.

Njengabantu abaningi endaweni yakithi, sasingenayo imali eningi, futhi sasingenakho ngaso sonke isikhathi konke esasikudinga. Ngezinye izikhathi kwakungekho ngisho nokudla okwanele. Ekuseni, ngokuvamile sasingenalutho lokudla ngaphandle kwerayisi elifudunyeziwe elisele ngayizolo. Ngezinye izikhathi ngisho nalokho kwakuyivela-kancane. Ngokungefani nabanye abacabanga ukuthi indoda, njengokuyiyona esebenzayo, kufanele ithole ingxenye enkulu kunabo bonke, bese kuba umfazi nabantwana bathole okusele, abazali bethu babehlala bengadlile futhi bavumele thina bantwana ukuba sihlanganyele noma ikuphi okuncane okwakukhona. Ngangikwazisa ukuzidela kwabo.

Ukuya Esikoleni

Abanye abantu eAfrika bakholelwa ukuthi abafana kuphela okufanele baye esikoleni. Banomuzwa wokuthi akudingekile ngamantombazane ukuba aye ngoba ayashada futhi abayeni bawo bayawanakekela. Abazali bami babengenawo lowombono. Sonke sobahlanu sayiswa esikoleni. Kodwa kwakucindezela ngokwezimali kubazali bami. Izinto ezinjengamapeni namaphepha zazingeyona inkinga engako, kodwa izincwadi zokufunda zazibiza, kungokufanayo nangamayunifomu esikole ayimpoqo.

Lapho ngiqala ukuya esikoleni, ngangingenazo izicathulo. Ngaqhubeka ngingenazo kwaze kwaba unyaka wami wesibili esikoleni esiphakeme lapho ngineminyaka engu-14, lapho abazali bami bekwazi ukungithengela izicathulo. Kodwa-ke, lokhu akusho ukuthi ngangingenazo kwanhlobo izicathulo. Okuwukuphela kwezicathulo enganginazo kwakungezokuya esontweni, futhi ngangingavunyelwe ukuba ngizigqoke esikoleni noma kunoma iziphi ezinye izindawo. Kwakudingeka ngilushaye ngonobhadula. Ngezinye izikhathi ubaba wayekwazi ukusithengela amathikithi ebhasi, kodwa lapho engenakukwazi, kwakudingeka sihambe ngezinyawo lapho siya nalapho sibuya esikoleni. Uhambo ngalunye lwaluqhele cishe ngamakhilomitha amathathu.

Usuku Lokuwasha Nokukha Amanzi

Sasiwasha izingubo zethu emfudlaneni. Ngikhumbula ngiya lapho nomama, owayephethe ibhakede, isitini sensipho, nezingubo. Emfuleni, sasigcwalisa ibhakede ngamanzi, afake kulo izingubo, bese ezikhuhla ngensipho. Khona-ke wayeshaya izingubo ematsheni abushelelezi abese eziyakaza emfuleni. Ngemva kwalokho wayezineka kwamanye amatshe ukuze zome ngenxa yokuthi zazisinda kakhulu ukuba zingathwalwa ziyiswe ekhaya zimanzi. Ngangimncane ngalesosikhathi, ngakho ngangabelwe ukubheka izingubo ezonyisiwe ukuze kungabikho muntu ozebayo. UMama wayenza omningi womsebenzi.

Bambalwa ababenamapayipi aletha amanzi emakhaya abo, ngakho omunye wemisebenzi yami kwakuwukuhamba nebhakede ngiyokukha amanzi empompini eyayingaphandle, ebizwa ngokuthi ithangi lamanzi. Inkinga yayiwukuthi phakathi nenkathi yokomisa, amathangi amanzi amaningi ayekhiywa ukuze kongiwe amanzi. Ngesinye isikhathi, sahlala usuku lonke singenawo amanzi okuphuza. Ngisho nethonsi elilodwa! Ngezinye izikhathi kwakudingeka ngihambe amakhilomitha amaningi ngifuna amanzi okugcwalisa ibhakede elilodwa nje. Ukuthwala amanzi ngekhanda amabanga amade kangako kwaqothula izinwele zami lapho ibhakede lalihlala khona. Nganginempandla ngineminyaka eyishumi ubudala! Ngiyajabula ukusho ukuthi lezozinwele zaphinde zakhula.

Abantwana Njengesivikelo

Lapho ngibheka emuva, ngingathi isimo sethu ekuphileni sasisesilinganisweni, mhlawumbe ngisho siphezu kwesilinganiso engxenyeni yethu yeAfrika. Ngazi eminye imikhaya eminingi emazinga ayo okuphila ayemabi kakhulu kunelethu. Abaningi babangane bami esikoleni kwakudingeka bathengise emakethe ngaphambi nangemva kwesikole ukuze balethele imikhaya yakubo imali. Abanye babengenakukwazi ukuthenga okuthile ababengakudla ekuseni ngaphambi kwesikole, futhi babesuka ekhaya belambile futhi babe sesikoleni usuku lonke bengadlile. Ngikhumbula izikhathi eziningi lapho omunye walabantwana efika engicela lapho ngidla isinkwa sami esikoleni. Ngakho ngangimhlephulela ucezu.

Naphezu kobunzima obukhulu obunjalo, abantu abaningi basakuthanda ukuba nemikhaya emikhulu. “Umntwana oyedwa akayena umntwana,” kusho abantu abaningi lapha. “Abantwana ababili bangoyedwa, abantwana abane babili.” Lokho kungenxa yokuthi isilinganiso sokufa kwezinsana siphakathi kweziphakeme kakhulu emhlabeni. Abazali bayazi ukuthi nakuba abanye babantwana babo beyokufa, abanye bayophila, bakhule, bathole imisebenzi, futhi balethe imali ekhaya. Khona-ke bayoba sesimweni sokunakekela abazali babo asebegugile. Ezweni elingenazo izinzuzo zokuvikelwa kwemiphakathi engenakuzisiza, lokho kubaluleke kakhulu.​—⁠Njengoba ilandiswa nguDonald Vincent.