Audio Story by Judith

English Translation

I want to talk about Corona. It had never existed before and we don’t know what brought it or where it came from. It surprised people and made things really hard, such as schools being closed, places where people worked and stores were closed. The economy was affected because there was no money, and we could not buy any food. People stayed at home, some even were so scared that they locked their doors completely. I saw neighbors who died. I just hope it will never come back. I pray to God that it never comes back, because kids were affected. They never went to school and things were not the same again. There were programs that were affected and not occurring because offices were closed. Also things were not getting done because people were so afraid of one another and the way Covid was easily spreading. We were also left with so much grief because of friends and relatives dying. 

We are saying again that this should never come back, but we also say thanks to [the government] so much for all that has happened. We ask for all the help that we can get and the assistance that we can get because this disease was really bad. There was no work and kids could not play. It really made it hard and life did not carry on well because this is something that has never happened before. We hope that there is going to be more investment in the diseases, so that we do not have to close everything again. Kids need to go to school, people need to work and things have to be bought, so that the economy and life can get back to normal in general. 

Swahili Transcription

Ndashaka kuvuga kuri Corona. Ntabwo yari yarigeze ibaho mbere kandi ntituzi icyayizanye cyangwa aho yaturutse. Byatunguye abantu kandi bituma ibintu bigorana rwose, nko gufunga amashuri, ahantu abantu bakoreraga n’amaduka arafungwa. Ubukungu bwagize ingaruka kubera ko nta mafaranga, kandi ntitwashoboraga kugura ibiryo. Abantu bagumye murugo, ndetse bamwe bagize ubwoba kuburyo bafunze imiryango burundu. Nabonye abaturanyi bapfuye. Gusa nizere ko itazigera igaruka. Ndasenga Imana ngo itazagaruka, kuko abana bagize ingaruka. Ntabwo bigeze bajya mwishuri kandi ibintu ntabwo byari bimeze. Hariho gahunda zagize ingaruka kandi ntizibe kuko ibiro byari bifunze. Ikindi kandi ibintu ntibyakorwaga kuko abantu batinyaga cyane nuburyo Covid yakwirakwiriye byoroshye. Twasigaye kandi dufite intimba nyinshi kubera inshuti n’abavandimwe bapfa. 

Turongera kuvuga ko ibi bitagomba na rimwe kugaruka, ariko kandi turavuga ngo urakoze cyane kubyabaye byose. Turasaba ubufasha bwose dushobora kubona nubufasha dushobora kubona kuko iyi ndwara yari mbi rwose. Nta kazi kandi abana ntibashoboraga gukina. Byaragoye rwose kandi ubuzima ntibwakomeje neza kuko iki nikintu kitigeze kibaho mbere. Turizera ko hagiye gushora imari nyinshi muri izo ndwara, kugirango tutazongera gufunga ibintu byose. Abana bakeneye kujya mwishuri, abantu bakeneye gukora nibintu bigomba kugurwa, kugirango ubukungu nubuzima bisubire mubisanzwe muri rusange.