The following entry is my first ever piece written in Zulu!! This is the first of what I hope will be many more to come during the time I work and live in South Africa. It's about my time spent as an intern at the Vumundzuku-Bya Vana Our Children's Future orphan care center in Zonkizizwe, South Africa last summer. I realize that not many people are actually going to be able to read what it says-- so if you REALLY want to know, e-mail me at iaquint2@msu.edu for a translated edition. Expression comes in many forms, and what you're about to read is from the heart!
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Isikhati Yami eVVOCF, eMsanzi Afrika
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Isikhati Yami eVVOCF, eMsanzi Afrika
Sawubona, igama lami ngi ngu Nicole “Mbali” Iaquinto. Ngineminyaka amashumi amabili nanye. Ngihlala eEast Lansing, kodwa umndeni wami nomama, ubaba, nosisi wami bahlala eFlint, Michigan. Ngithanda ukufunda isiZulu, ukuhleka, ukulalela umculo, nokukuphuza itiye iRooi. Futhi ngithanda izingane nemfundo.
Ngingumfundi eJames Madison College eMichigan State University. Ngifunda i-Social Relations and Policy neAfrican American and African Studies. E-James Madison College ngifanele ukuqedela i-internship. Ngiqede mina eZonkizizwe, uMzansi Afrika ngehlobo 2008. Beku yisikhathi sokuqala sami eMzansi Afrika. Ngi hlale lapho e-ilokishi iziyanga ezintathu.
Ngisebenze eVumundzuku-Bya Vana Our Children’s Future (VVOCF) phakathi nendawo yabantwana neHIV/AIDS. Umholi eVVOCF nguNomusa Buthelezi nabanye abambalwa abayizisebenzi, nofundela ubudokotela eisbhedlela. Othisha basiza ogogo ukukupheka uphutu, isobho, nenyama yakhona.
Abantwana phakhati e VVOCF nendawo baneminyaka enga – amashumi amabili nanye nabahamba esikoleni eZonkizizwe, eKatlehong, naseGermiston. Emuva ibanga, abantwana bafike eVVOCF. Siya sidlale ibhola, sifunde isiNgisi, nescience nobuciko. Ngesinye isikhathi siye sivakashela eGold Reef City eGoli. Futhi, sidla ukudla okumnandi futhi sabe izingubo, sabele abantwana nemindeni yabo.
Ngesinye isikhathi ngifundisa ubuciko nangesinye isikhati ngifundisa ukudlala ibhola, isience, indlu kaTokoloshe, amabhange, imidwebo, nemigexo. Abantwana bathanda ubuciko kuhulu. Bathanda ukubhala izincwadi babhalele izingane eMelika. Ekuqaleni abafana babengafuni ukuvumela amatombazana ukuba adlale ibhola. Ngabeluleka ukuthi sifanele sidlale sonke.
E-VVOCF Ngiphathe izingane nomsebenzi wasekhaya elabhulali ntambama. Izingane zomgwamanda futhi zifike. Sisebenze izibalo, ubuciko, umlando, umbhalo, isiZulu, isiNgisi, nokunye. Sisebenzizse amakhompuyutha nezincwadi ukuqeda. Izingane azivunyelwe ukuthola usizo uphandle isikole.
Ngesonto kune ngisebenze ezikoleni e-umgwamanda. Ngisebenze eZonkizizwe Primary, Umtholo Primary, Zonkizizwe Secondary, neWinile Secondary. Ngisize othisha ngo-buciko namasiko. Futhi, ngisebenze isifundo nga “hip hop eMelika.” Kwaku jabulisa kahulu! Sifunde izindaba na siphendula imibuzo. Ngiakhe ubungane nothisha ezikoleni.
Futhi ngisize ukuhlela “Usuku Lwesempilo.” Sithathe izingane sazisa esikoleni nasekliniki. Sihlola izingane ngenxa yeHIV/AIDS. Sahlola izingane ezingamashumi asisishiyagalobili! Izingane ezine zigamele. Sajabula ukukwazi, manje sesiyakwazi ukubasiza.
Ekupheleni kohambo lwami, ngahlaba ikhefu. Emva kwalokho ngaya eLesotho; eMalealea Lodge. Ngalala endlini ezintabeni. Ekuseni ngahamba ngehhashi ukubona Botsekoua Falls. Futhi ngabona isangoma. Isangoma sakhuluma sathi ngifanele ukuphonsa iphathi ngedlozi lami. Ngahlala eLesotho imihla imibili, futhi ngahamba ngaya ekhaya ngetekisi.
Ngahamba ngaya ekhaya eMelika u-Agasti. Ngadanile ubusuku uMsanzi Afrika nezingane eVVOCF. Ngathembisa ukubuya masinyane. Isikhathi yami eVVOCF Kwaku jabulisa nadanisa nobabili. I-internship yami ingisiza ukuenyula isikhathi esizayo umsebenzi wami. Manje, ngifuna ukusebenza ngezingane yeHIV/AIDS noma imfundo i-elementary noma i-secondary.
Ngikhumbula izingane yami kahulu, noNomusa, noZonkezizwe. Ngizobuya eZonkizizwe intwasahlobo 2010. Ngizogumfundi eUniversity of KwaZulu Natal. Ngifunda umlando ngoMzansi Afrika nesiZulu. Ngizovakasha Zonkizizwe ezimpela sonto namaholide.
