Reflections on language, schools, culture, and the work that surrounds fiction in Cibemba.
Ilyo natendeke ulu lwendo lwa kulembalemba, natiile ine nshili kalemba iyoo. Ine umulimo wandi ukufuma ku bulumendo bwandi, buusulwishi. Kuuya ndeshitisha. Ukushitisha ifingatemwa abantu.
Ico nasambilile mu masambililo ya busulwishi icikalamba ca kuti, “Teekuti utwalilile ukucita amakwebo nga cakuti ushitisha ifipe nangu imilimo iya kubeepaika abo ucita nabo amakwebo.” Ekutiila, ukubebila, ukubomfya inshila sha bufufuntungu, isha kufinsha.
Kuti limbi mwaipusha ukuti, “Bushe na mu kulemba kuti mwaba ukubeepa muli ishi nshila walandapo?”
Ee, emo shaba. Mu kulemba, kuti wafinsha nangu ukubeepa bakabelenga nga cakuti ulesusaula ifyebo nangu ukukopololafye ukufumya mufyo bambi balemba kale, waficita ifyobe. Nangu, limo kuti walalembafye cikulu kulemba ukwabula ukutontonkanya pali bakabelenga bobe. Ukulemba ilyashi ilya munsaunte, ilyabula ico bengatoolamo.
Nga ulefwaya amakwebo ya kulemba ukuya pa ntanshi, ufwile ukulemba ifintu nangu pa fintu ifingasekesha, ukusambilisha, nangu ukucenjeshako ba kabelenga bobe, emukuti bakashitoma, fimo umo bengatoola tumo utubakumine.
Ifi fiine efyo njesha ukucita muli fyonse ifyo nemba, ngefyo nalaile, pa bushiku natendeke. Akatabo kamo ako naalemba,*** Utuuntu mu Makwebo,*** efyo kalandapo sana. Ku ca kumwenako, bakashitoma bandi bamo ba Germany Technical Cooperation (GIZ), abakwete umulimo wa kusambilisha Abeena-Luapula ubulimi bwe sabi ukubombela pamo ne ciputulwa ca buteeko icimona pe sabi ne nama, balandilepo ifi pali ici citabo panuma ya kushita no kupeela abasambi baabo:
“The GIZ Fish for Food Security in Zambia Project (F4F) commissioned the community communication enterprise Swampy Tales/ Swampy Publishers to produce and broadcast educational radio shows on the topic of sustainable aquaculture, to both the general public and formalised ‘Radio Listening Groups’ in Luapula and Eastern Provinces of Zambia. An important component was financial literacy, including record-keeping, marketing, entrepreneurship, and savings mechanisms.
“One resource covering these topics, which formed the basis for much of the training content, was drawn from ‘Utuuntu Mu Makwebo,’ a Bemba-language manual authored by Kunda Londa… Greater availability of printed copies to the public would help extend the accessibility of financial literacy in the local language, and translations would extend its coverage in Zambia and the region.”
Mukwai batiila, “Ifiweme fiilombela umucele, kabili fiine fiita ameenshi.” Ici citabo cilafwilisha bonse na balya abapoka ulupiya lwa malooni ya CDF nangu lulya balomba ulwa ma grants ku buteeko pakuti batendeke nangu ukutumpula amakwebo. Nampo nga elyo batendeka nangu bayamba kale, mukwai takaaba na nsaishi, kalafwilisha abacita amakwebo ayali yonse.
Kanshi utubungwe tutungilila aba makwebo yanoono, aba ma kopaletifu na bana-maliketi, kuti mwabalangilila nangu ukubashitila ici citabo nga filya fyacitile ba GIZ ku Luapula.
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Isembe Talitwa
A Cibemba thriller for ages 13 and above, approved and recommended for teaching and learning Literature in Cibemba in Zambian schools.