Play time: 40:47 minutes. Recorded in Shiru, Kenya, April 3, 2014.

Kunyola Mwana Mumba

Carolyne Chesi

Carolyne Chesi na nzitsa kumuvolela amang'ana kolondekana ku mwana mukana onyola mwana mmba mwavo.

Mwana mukana niyakasolela yatanga kogenda na avana vayayi ichova na mama weve niyamanyanga yamutevanga. Navutsa kuvilukitsa mwana mukana nu vudinyu muno. Mwana lugano lwene yilwo alolekeranga ku mang'ana gege ga akolanga. Kulia anyala kugada mama weve mwigitsi akoheye igasi na kitabu chali kilala na mwana wo kosoma naye atsiyi nacho ku nyenya nzie kuhandikila weve ila igasi yu mwigitsi akuheye. Mama weve amanya achiling'ana. Lwa kavili anyala kumugada kutsitsanga mu mikinu na ni ihare muno; si manyi isaa ya manya nzilane dave. Kandi mama weve amanya achiling'ana. Na lwa kavaga mwana wene oyo amanya amugada mwana wa kosoma naye atuli nasukulu na alwala na mbuguyi vitabu vivie nyenyanga kumuhilila. Mama weve oyo amanya avuna kisala ma lelo achiling'ana galaha. Mwana oyo amanya atsitsagilila kugada mama weve ndio. Naye atsitsagilila kuchiring'ana garaha. Amanya amuvolela keveho ichatsa kikuvuli. Mama weve oyo niyakachiling'ana garaha imanya iduka inyinga mwana mukana mwene oyo ni yakagimira amasaye, mama weve amanya alola liva liu mwana mukana oyo aveye mu. Valala vatanga kulava mmoni na undi atanga ilyilukilanga vuli asubui anoho ayela ichai ya maveere na undi mwoyo gutula ku ligali; sa amanya alitsa kindu dave anoho ayanza kindu cha atayanza ku maisha gege dave; anyala kuyanza vindu kuli amengu anoho mikado. Galondekana ku unda yene ya avetsanga na aginji. Na mama weve oyo avetsanga nendi lihenda mwoyo. Lwa mama weve oyo alolanga ndio amanyanga mwana uyu yagumila masaye. Lwa mama weve oyo amamnyanga ndio amanya amutumila mukere amuvoolela "tsia ondevele mwana oyo aveyey nende inda?" Ku lwa kuvera mwana mukana na akikili mwavo avetsanga ninde tsisoni tsinyinge. Siyiyamanga vwangu dave. Mama weve oyo amanya yikutsila hakekeke. Amanya atuma mulina weve mulala wa vayanzana naye. Lwa ku lwo kovera mwana mukana si yiyamaa mu vudoto dave; amanya agaya mulina weve oyo. Mama oyo amanya atuma vakere kandi anoho mukere mulala. Amanya ahenzelitsa ligali mukere wa vamoloma ku nende mukana oyo navutsa si yiyamamanga dave. Mama oyo amanya amuleka garaha nitali amanya ava ninde kehenda mwoyo mu mwoyo gwigwe, namanye mwana mukana uyu yahelitsa ku musigu anoho ni inda yi chiko. Amanya amuvolela liatsa liduki lidiku watsa wiyame. Amamnya amuleka garaha. Mwana mukana oyo atsitsagililanga kuva ninde inda yeye paga lwa madiku gadukanga gu konyolela mu mwana weve. Nu mwana mukana wene oyo sa amalanga ligali mieli tisa dave. Isa yindi amalanga mieli munane anoho mieli munane ni inusu. Lwa lidiku lidukanga lia alumwangwa, vamuteva wa yahelitsa anoho wa yanyola musigo yigwo; ma achiling'ana. Vakere va avetsa navo vamanya vamuvolela iladuka isa ulavola kali vujira kumanya ovola dave ma vachiling'ana garaha. Mwana mukana oyo amanya alumwa lwa isa iduka yu mwana kutula ichova ni yakatanga kukuba tsikwiri anoho komolela amasigamo, vamutevanga vutsa wanyola hayi musigo gwo oveye nagwo yigu. Amanya avola na vakere yavo vamanya vamuvolela "lwu kilanganji mugeli; su wakavola vujira kuvisa dave." Vamanya vamukonya lwu mwana agwitsanga hasi vakere vavetsa ni vamukonyanga vamanya vamukarigilila mwana lolela ma vagunza hakekeke tsingovi tsitula ma va mwala hakola nasosela garaha. Mama weve amanya avugula vakere vavili ma avatuma wanga muyayi hu mukana yanyola inda. Avatsia kovola yo. Vakere yavo vamanya vatsia lwa vaduka yo vamanya vavolela mama wu muyayi na mama wu muyayi oyo amanya alanga muyayi weve "hamba uhuli ga vakere yava vavolanga." Muyayi oyo amanya yatsa ma vakere yavo vivalila ku muyayi oyo. Muyayi wene oyo naveye mulahi amanya avavolela gaveye ndio na undi ku lwa kovera aveye nindi tsisoni kijira vayayi vandi vamanye vamuseke yakwivula mwana; si yiyama mu vodoto dave. Mama oyo naveye mulahi amanya atsia yo wanga mukana onyoyange mwana na mama oyo avugulanga isa yindi lisiadi liu muyayi weve nindi isavuni ninde itaholo ma aginga nendi tsinguvu nendi isukari na valala vaginganga vusie vwo voro ma vatsia. Lwa aduka yo valetanga mwana ma avugula lisiadi liene yilio ma avika mu yakasinga mwana wene oyo. Yakavika mu amanya avugula akasukari kakekeke ma avikila mwana ku lulimi ma vavugula vusie vwo voro yivwo vavinaga ovosera. Va kavinaga ovosera kandi avugulanga akombitsa mwana wene oyo. Mwana mwene oyo nataveye wavo dave si amanya agona dave. Mama mwene oyo amanya atura yo yilana yengo. Na mwana muyayi ni yiyami mwene oyo vovetsanga vodoto. Lwa vahilanga ripoti mwana mukana ya konyola mwana mukere mwene oyo amanya avola ginji mwana mwene oyo mulete. Mama wu mukana amanya avugula vakere ma vaginga mwana oyo vahira wanga muyayi. Mukana mwene oyo avetsanga wanga muyayi oyo paga lwi lidiku lidukanga lio kovega mwana mwene oyo. Lwa vaveganga mwana mwene oyo, mama wu muyayi alanganga muyayi weve ma amuteva, "mwana mukana uyu lwa kovega mwana alilana wavo anoho alava hano?" Muyayi niyiyami, vamanya vateva kandi mwana mukana alikala mu lukali anoho alagaluka wavo. Vosi nivavugilitsani vamanya vavega mwana ma mukana yikala. Lwa mukana yikalanga vamanya vatuma kandi vakere vatsia vavavolela mwana winyu muyayi yakuhanda ku na vakere vavatumanga vavahetsanga isukari ni vatsia nayo na mwana wa valeti ni vavega vavolenga mwana mukana oyo utange kwilana nu mwana uyu kijira muyayi uyu akikili kuduka wu kuleta mukali dave; kwatsa kukulange umwana ni kubadisanga. Mwana mukana oyo amanya yilana wavo ma alindilila paga lwa valimulanga ni vatsia kubaadisa mwana. Ni yago genyine ga nyanzi ku muvolela ku kolondekana ku mukana anyolela mwana mmba.

Vindu viekolekanga ku muhiga

Kutanganga muhiga Januari mweli lala na kutanga kutsia muganisa mweli gwene yigu nende kusala nu kusanditsa nyasaye ku avetsanga ni yakokolela ku muhiga gwosi govetsanga ni guviti paga lidiku lia ovetsa nu uduchi ku mweli lala. Ku muhiga mushia mweli gwa Januari govetsanga nindi amang'ana manyinge vandu nivafunguranga muhiga. Kutanga, valala vatsitsanga kusanditsa nyasaye mu liganisa na vandi si vatsitsanga mu liganisa dave, vene yavo valala ku vandu vanwetsanga amalwa; nu wagana navo vakovolelanga "happy nulia" na vahambichi, si vavetsa ni vatsiyi mu livugana dave. Navutsa gadukana niva nyasaye yakulinda muhiga gwosi uluhi wambuchi uduchi mweli gwa Januari noveye mwoyo gadukananga utsie kusanditsa ku nyasaye kijira sovetsa nu manyi kimanya chekoleke muhiga gwene yigwo dave. Muhiga gwene gwa Januari yigwo lwa kumalanga kufungura muhiga kososanga himbe lisitsa lilala lia kovetsa kuganaganilamu kuli avana vanyala kwilana musukulu kandi kuli kunyala kulima nende konyola maduma gu kutaka nende kuli konyola lunyasi lwu kutagila maduma. Vana vavetsa ni vakoli magera gi kilasi cha munane nivo vakumanya kohendela ligali na kijira kovetsa ni kutulanji ku muhiga mukulu na muhiga mukulu kuvetsanga mu nende vindu vinyinge ligali muno. Kuvetsanga ni kwisiahiyange muhiga gwene gula kuli kugula tsinguvu tsie isigugu, vilato, nende kusiahaha avana vitu ni tsinyumba tsyitu. Kumanya kwivilila lwa kuduka Januari avana genyekana vatsie musukulu na kijira mukere mmba niye ovolanga amang'ana; naloli eng'ombe neveye ho amanya avolele musakulu kugulitse eng'ombe yiyi kuhilile mwana mu sukulu anoho kukare ku mulimi gwitu yigu kugulitsi kuhile mwana mu sukulu lwa namale lisoma yatsa akugulili mulimi gundi anoho eng'ombe yindi. Kandi kwa kagulitsa vindu viene yivi, tsisendi tsiene yitsi tsimanya tsikokonye kandi kugula maduma nende lunyasi lwu kutagila. Vene yavo ni vahulilitsani vamanya vakola ndio na undi yamalila tsisendi tsitsye mu sigugu yivilila mwana natsie musukulu, vandu vatsa valimi milimi, vaguli tsinyasi nende maduma gu kutagila. Lwa yivililanga agene yago amanya avola serekali eveho ilakosominyila avana na yivilila kumanya yenyanga umwana uviti vulahi muno. Lwa kuduka ku mweli gwa kavili, govetsanga gwu kutaga maduma. Valala si vavetsanga ni vetegeki dave na sivavetsanga ninde amaduma nu lunyasi lwu kutaga dave. Vene yavo vavetsanga vu kusumbula vatende vavo anoho viko vavo nu kuvavolela "mbeku maduma nzi kutaga, anoho maduma gu wataga ku nu lunyasi, niva lwatigala mbeku na yinze nzie kutagila." Mundu kuli wene oyo sa avetsa niyibanga mu mipango jijye dave. Mundu ovetsanga niyibanga mu mipango jijye lwa imbula ikubanga atulanha na maduma nu lunyasi lwilwe kali valala vaginga tsimbindi vatsia kutagila mu maduma gene yago. Avetsanga niyalomba vindu vivye ni viveye vulahi. Na imbula nikubi vulahi, vindu viene yivyo ni vyakaduka kumanya kutanga kosembera mweli wa kavaga ni gufwetsa anoho wa kanne mu madiku gu mweli gene yago. Na madiku gene yago gu mweli wa kanne paga kutsia kutsia wa gatano gavetsanga madiku gi inzala nende vulwaye vunyinge. Inzala yeyo niveye ku tsisendi kandi si tsivetsaku dave; unyala kulanga mundu akusamulili na sulamuha tsisendi dave kijira sovetsa noveye natsio dave. Vulwaye vovetsaku vunyinge ligali muno kijira imbula yeyo; limonia na malaria gamanya gita vandu mu vunyinge mu madiku gene yago. Kijira mundu wene uyu sa avetsa naveye ni tsisendi tsiu kutsila musivitali dave. Lwa vandu vatanganga kulia maganda, isa indi ivetsanga mweli wa katano kufwetsanga anoho wa sita. Madiku gene yago unyala kulanga mundu akusamulili ma umuvolela uhaguliku misoga jia maganda yiji utsie kodeka na tsisendi si mbeye natsio tsia ngutunga dave; ulindi lwa maganda ni mburage ndakakutungi maganda anoho ndakagulitse maganda gene yaga nangutungi tsisendi. Lwa kudukanga mweli wa saba, vandu vavetsanga ni vakatanga kudidimba maduma. Vamanya vadidimba maduma gene yago niva niwataga maduma ge kelogoli. Na niwataga maduma gi kisungu, ulindanga paga mweli wa tisa. Na kijira ichuvwe kivetsanga chi tsimbilu vaklala valimilanga mu nmaduma na vandi vavuna maduma gavo; na nu wataga maduma gi kisungu, utemanga uvungitsa mu visteji ma utanga kulima. Ulimanga na nutaga kuduka ku mweli gwi likomi vandu vavetsanga ni vakatanga kosembela maduma gene yago. Lwa vatanga kosembera maduma gene yago, vasemberanga paga mweli wa kumi na moja kijira valala vavetsanga nivilanila mu maduma gavo. Na ku lwa kovera mweli wa kumi na moja govetsanga nende vindu vinyinge; kovetsanga mu nende likuba vilaka ku tsinyumba tsyitu. Valala vatitsilanga mu tsinyumba tsiavo na vandi ni vahenza malina ku madiji nigayavukanga nivalasamu. Vakamala kulasa vamanya vatsia koleta malova na valala vahomanga malova mamwamu na vandi malavu. Na igasi yo kohoma ekolekanga na avana vakutsutsu sana kijira vavetsa ni vamanyi ni vatakoli igasi yene yeyo dave si umanye uvavugilili vatsie kwimba malago dave. Ku lwa uvavolelanga vatsie kuoleta malova kohome, vatsitsanga vwangu sana. Kandi uvavolela vatsie kotenya tsingu mmulitu kunangwa mutsie kwimba malago; vatsitsa vwangu sana. Vakola igasi yeneyo vwangu sana kandi vavetsanga ni vamanyi ni kokola igasi yeneyo tsinguvu tsia krismasi kumanya konyole nende virato. Na kijira vakere na vageli vavetsanga ninde chama cha kutulitsa tsisendi tsiu kwivulana na tsisendi tsiene yitsio tsitulanga mweli gwa Januari ma vavika mu livikilu noveye ni ishida yoyo utsia kwegoba na tsivulananga. Lwa vegobanga ndio, wilanyianga tsisendi tsiene yitsio na avana ku anoho ifaida ku igulu. Tsisendi tsiene yitsio vavikanga avana ma vagavulana mweli gwa Desemba. Lwa Desemba idukanga vakere vene yavo valangana halala ma vagavulana tsisendi tsiavo ma vatsia vagulilamu vana vavo cha venyanga; tsinguvu, virato nende viukulia vya valia mu sigugu. na kijira mweli gwa Desemba yigwo avana vavetsanga ni vimbanga malago kandi vakere vavetsanga ni vimbanga malago. Malago ga vakere si vatanga kale dave, vatanganga kuli mweli shirini anoho mweli shirini na tatu kijira yavo vatanga malago gavo kale ma gumilitsila imitwi. Si vavetsanga nende vudinyu ligali dave. Lwa lidiku lidukanga liu mweli shirini na tano, livetsanga lidiku liu vuyanzi, mwana avetsanga niyakwivulwa. kandi livetsanga lidiku lia mang'ana manyinge. Lidiku liene yilio valevi vavetsaku vanyinge na vandi vatsitsanga kogendelela vandu vavo, na vavndi valanganga viko vavo vasangalila halala, na vandi vatsia kwimba malago anoho kutsia kolola ku tsikwaya na vandi vahonga hango. Na vukunywa malua vene yavo vasherekeanga vavola kunyi koveye mu sigugu. Lwa vuchietsanga mugamba mweli shirini na sita, vamanya vavolanga koveye mu boxing day. Unyala kwagana nende mundu onyole akuduyi vutsa likonde nomoteva akuduyilaki akovolela koveye mu boxing day. Na undi akovolela ni lidiku lia kufungula amaboksi, na vandi vamanya vatsia mu vutamaduni wammbale. Ni ndio kutanganga muhiga ma nindio kandi kumanya kumala.

Mbeye nindi lugano lwa Liani na maganda

Kare muno yali ho mukere mulala lyita lilye liali Kayesa. Kayesa yali na avana vavaga vakana. Kayesa yali niyamanya kulunga maganda vulahi muno; yavolela avana veve yenyanga kutsie kosembera na mulala ku munyi atigare ni yigelitsanga mulilu mu maganda. Vasembera kuduka hamugorova lwa Kayesa yalola liuva liakatanga koyela. Yavolela avana veve, haduchi kutsie yengo. Vatsia yengo ni vanyola Liani nagona. Kayesa yahenza munyingu nanyola maganda si gaveye u dave, nitali amagina geng'ine. Yateva Liani yivale mundu uliyi maganda. Liani yamuvolela sa amanyi dave. Kayesa na avana veve yavavolela kutsie kusila ko vogo; vuli mulala yimbange ulwimbu yilu nasila:

Siyali ninze*2

Ndiyi maganda *2

Ndumanga lulala ningwa muvogo, eeeeh muvogo

Ningwitsanga muvogo

Mukere Kayesa yimba lwimbu yilu natuma ovogo. Avana vandi vimba ni vatuma na Liani yimba natuma nagwa muvogo.

Lugano lundi ni Ndiegu nu mwana

Kale ligali yali ho mukere ku lyita Ndiegu. Lidiku lilala inzala yaliho mu kivala inene ligali. Mukere Ndiegu yatsia kusuma nanyola yo viukulia. Niyatsa nadeka nalia niyima mwana weve. Lwa vwachia mugamba mu mavwevwe, mwana yavuka ni inzala natsia kwenya viukulia vivye mmulitu, yanyola naleta nadeka nalia na niyima mama weve Ndiegu. Ndiegu yachena umwana nagonya mbula amuheku navutsa mwana yamugaya navola; ndakogela ng'o. Vatende lwa vahulila kuli yatsia kusuma nadeka niyima mwana weve, vamuteva kijira ki kalunu wenyanga mwana akohe chukulia chiche. Vatende vamanya vatanga limusekelitsa ni vamudiginya ni vimba lwimbu yilu:

Ndiegu akatsia kusuma,

Akima mwana

Na mwana atsia kusuma

Akima mwana

Ndiegu vava, ukariranga gu,

Tsunu tsunu tsunu tsunu.

Kutula lwene lula Ndiegu siyima mwana weve chukulia mba kandi mwana siyima mama weve chukulia mba, vamenya ni mirembe nu vusangali.

Sande.

Getting a child before marriage

I am Carolyne Chesi and I am going to tell you story about a girl who gives birth to a child while at home before marriage.

When a girl had matured she began to walk with boys outside and if the mother knew she used to ask her. But raising a girl is very difficult. The type of the child is known from what she does. The way she can cheat her mother that the teacher gave them work and they were sharing a book and the child that I am studying with has gone with the book and I want to go and write the work that the teacher gave us from his home. The mother keeps quiet. The second time she can cheat her that they are going to games and it very far and she does not know the time when she will return home. The mother keeps quiet. The third time she normaly cheat the mother that the child whom she is studying with, was sick and she took his books and she want to take them back. The mother cuts a stick and then she keeps quiet. The child continues to cheat the mother, and she contnues to keep quiet. She normaly tells her that there is something that will reveal her.

When the mother has kept quiet there comes a time when the girl is pregnant. The mother observes the conditions at which the girl is in. some will have a clear face, another one can rest in the morning while the others will refuse milk tea. She does not take anything or something that she doesn't like in her life. She can like things like bananas or avocado. When the mothers see that she knows that the girl is pregnant. When the mother see that she normaly send a woman to check for her if the daughter is pregnant. The girl is shy. She is not active. The mother perservires for a while. She normaly sends one of her best friend to the child but the child does not accept easily. She denies the truth from the friend. The mother sends women or one woman. She looks for a woman that communicates with the girl well but she does not accept.

The mother leaves her alone but she normaly gets worried. She is always worried and wonders whether the girl got pregnant from a relative. She normaly tells her that there will come a day when she will accept. She leaves her alone. The girl continues being pregnant until the days when she will be near to give birth to her child. This girl does not finish nine months, she may finish eight or eight and a half month. When the day comes when she is in pain, they ask her where she got pregnant. She keeps quiet. The woman tell her that there will come a time when she will speak it without even knowing that she is revealing the truth. They keep quiet.

The girl starts to have pain when the child wants to come out, when she starts to scream or when she start to crawl, they ask her where she got pregnant. She normaly says the truth and the women tell her you were making yourself clever and now you have told us the truth without hiding it. They assist her when the child comes out then they clap their hands and the girl is put somewhere to rest. The mother sends two women to the home where the girl got pregnant. They go there and they give the information. The women go there and they tell the mother to the son who impregnanted the girl and the mother calls her son "come and hear what these women are saying" this boy comes and the women explain the information to the boy. If the boy is good, he will accept, but some may be ashamed and afraid because others will laugh at him because he has given birth to a child hence he doesn't accept it easily. If the mother is good she may visit the home where the boy impregnated the girl and she may carry a shirt that belongs to her son together with soap, towel and she carries some clothes together with sugar and some of them carry flour and they go.

When she arrives there, they bring the child and she keeps the baby inside the shirt once she has bathed the child. She takes little sugar and puts it inside the mouth of the child then they cook porridge. After cooking the porridge she takes it and gives it to the baby. If the baby does not belong to her family, the baby does not sleep. The mother leaves the place and returns home. And if the boy has accepted it becomes easy. When they bring the report that the girl has given birth to a baby, the mother in law normaly asks them to carry the baby to her home. The mother to the girl who has given birth, looks for some women then they carry the baby to the boy's home. The girl stays at the home of the boy until the day of shaving the baby. When they are shaving the baby the mother calls his son and asks him, "while we are shaving this baby, is the mother returning home or she will remain here?" if the boy accepts, they also ask the girl if she will stay in her marriage or she will return home.If they have both accepted, they now shave the baby and the girl stays in her marriage. When the girl stays in her marriage, they send women back to give information that the boy has refused to leave the girl, and the women that are sent there are given sugar. And it happens that the girl has to return back with the child because the boy is not mature enough to marry. They will call him when they will be baptising the baby. That is all that I wanted to tell you concerning the child who has given birth to a child before marriage.

THINGS THAT HAPPEN DURING THE YEAR

On 1st of January we go to church to thank God for what he has done for us throughout the whole of the previous year until the day of 1st of January. This month has a lot of things, people are starting the year. Others go to church to thank God, while others do not go to church these are some of the people who drink beer. When you meet them they tell you "Happy as you eat" and they are drank, they are not from the church. But if God has taken care of you throughout the year, you should go to church to start a new year by appreciating him because you do not know what will happen during that year. When the year begins we rest for a week as we figure out how children will go to school. The way we can plough and get maize and the fertilizer for planting maize. The children who have sat for their final exam in class eight are the ones that we worry about. The new year has a lot of things to be done. The previous year, we spend on clothes and celebrations. And also visiting our children in our houses. We forget when we get to january that our children are supposed to go to school and because a woman is the one who speaks in the house, if she see that there is a cow she normaly ask her husband to sell it so that they can take the child to school. Or they sell part of their land and take the child to school when the child finish school she will buy for the another land or cow.

And after selling these items the money will be used in buying maize and fertilizer for planting. If they agree they normaly do that and others and spent their money on celebrations and forgot that the children are supposed to go to school, people are supposed to dig the farm, buy fertilizer and the maize to plant. When he forget that he says that the government is there and it will educate our children forgeting that the child has to pass the exams well. When we get to the second month it is the month for planting maize. Some are not prepared and they do not have maize and the fertilizer for planting. Those are the ones who disturb their neighbors and relatives by borrowing maize together with fertilizer for planting. Such type of a person is one who had not prepared his plans. A person who is prepared with his plans when it rains he goes out with his maize and fertilizer for planting his maize. He has put his things in order. And if it rain well, when the crops have germinated we normaly weed them towards the end of march or april. The days of april towards may are days of hunger and sickness. When the hunger is on the money is not available. You can ask someone to work for you but you won't pay that person because you do not have money. There is a lot of sickness because of the rain. Pneumonia and malaria normaly kill may people during these days. Because this person does not have enough money to go to the hospital. People begin to harvest beans on may or maybe towards the end of june. During these days you can call someone to work for you then you ask that person to take some of the pre-harvested beans and cook it because you do not have enough money to pay that person at that time.

And ask the person to wait when you will harvest the beans you will pay him/her. When we get to the seventh month people start eating pre-harvested maize. They eat the local maragoli maize (maduma ge kelogoli) and if you planted hybrid you will have to wait until the nineth month. Some plant maize while others harvest their maize. If you planted hybrid maize you cut and put the remainings together then you plough the farm. You dig as you plant until the month of october that is when people begin to weed their maize. They weed the maize upto the month of november. The month of november has a lot of things; there is decoration of the houses. Others repair their walls. After that they go to bring soil and some use black soil to decorate their houses while others uses white soil. This work is done by young children because they know that if they do not do the work you won't take them to the church to sing christmas bells.

When you ask them to go and bring the soil for decorating the house they run very fast. If you ask them to go and look for firewood from the forest before going to sing they run very fast. They do that work very fast because they know that if they do it they will get clothes and shoes for christmass. And because wmen are clever they save money from the month of january so that if one has a problem she can borrow and bring back with some interest. They share the money on December. When the month of december comes the women call each other then they share the money, they use the money to buy for their children what they need; clothes, shoes and food for eating during the celebration. During this month children sing the christmass bells and women do it also. But women do not start their practices early. They start practicing between 20th of December and 23rd of December. Because they began singing long time ago and they have memorized the songs. They do not have much problem. The date of December 25th is a happy day, it is a day when the child was born. It is also a day that has a lot of activities. During this day we have a lot of drank people whle others go to visit their people. Some call their relatives and they celebrate together. Some go to sing or watch people performing christmass bells, while others stay at home. And those who drink they drink and say that they are celebrating. The following morning on 26th it is boxing day. One may tell you that it is a day for opening boxes. Others go to cultural celebrations at Mbale. That is how we begin the year and finish it.

I have a story about an ogre and beans.

Long time ago one woman by the name Kayesa. She had three children who were girls. She knew how to cook beans very well. She asked her children to go with her to the farm, and one of them to cook beans. They weeded until in the evening when she saw the sunset she asked her children to stop and they return home. They went home and found Liani sleeping. Kayesa looked inside the pot but she didn't see the beans, but she saw stones. She asked Liani to explain who ate the beans. Liani said that she doesn't know. She asked her children to go and cross the river and one of them to sing this song as she cross:

I was not the one*2

Who stole the beans*2

I jump once and fall in water eeeeh water

As I fall in the water

The woman sang this song as she crossed the bridge. Other children sang as they crossed and Liani jumped and fell into the water.

NDIEGU WITH THE CHILD

Long time ago there was a woman by the name Ndiegu. There came hunger in the world. She went to look for food and found it. She came and cooked it then she ate and denied her child. The following morning the child woke up hungry and he went to look for food in the forest. he found the food and cooked it then he denied his mother. Ndiegu waited for her child to share a little meal but the child refused. When the neighbors heard that she cooked and denied her child, they asked her why she wanted the child to give her yet she denied him her meals. The neighbors began laughing at her as they sang this song:

Ndiegu went to look for food

She denied the child

And the child went to look for food

He denied the mother

Ndiegu you are crying

Tsunu tsunu tsunu tsunu.

From that time Ndiegu did not deny her child food again and the child has not denied the mother food. They stayed in peace and joy.

Thankyou.