Real Stories Gallery | Convention on the Rights of the Child (Nov. 20, 1989) PART I (Illustrated by © Art For Humanity, "Women for Children")
Convention on the Rights of the Child (Nov. 20, 1989) PART I (Illustrated by © Art For Humanity, "Women for Children")
The Committee calls upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Convention and "to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories."
"Living Children and Dead Children" by Lien Botha
"Living Children and Dead Children," poem by Karen Press
to find out where they're going,
and an eagle circling that doesn't dare to swoop.
Dead children are no-one's ancestors.
Bana ba ba tshelang le bana ba ba tlhokafetseng (Setswana translation: Lorato Trok)
ba lebile kgakala kwa dithabeng, ditlhare tse dikhutshwane di ba
lebile gore fa ba ka tlhoka thuso, le bomantlopane ba ba setse morago
go bona gore ba ya kae le ntsu e ntse e ba dikologa e sa tshabe go ka tlhasela.
ba phetesela, ba baakanyetsa mokete wa maatla a a ba ba tshelang
Bana ba ba tlhokafetseng, badimo ba loso,
"My Birthday Wish" by Angela Buckland
"My Birthday Wish," poem by Kareemah El-Amin
He said he doesn't want to die, my hymen for his life
I've saved 100 lives since birth
Between my legs is his salvation
He speaks of love and understanding, piety and grace
With his penis in my face
Gifting me with the sacrament of his unholy communion
I turned nine today
Blow out the candles, and make a wish
"Father, please forgive my sins...
Let me join you before I turn ten"
Zwine Nda Tama Nga Duvha Langa La Mabebo (Tshivenda translation coordinated by Dr Maria Letsie)
O ri ha todi u fa, vhusidzana hanga ndo vhu vhulungela vhutshilo hawe
Ndo vhulunga matshilo a dana tshe nda bebwa
Vhukati ha milenzhe yanga ndi phuluso yawe
U amba nga ha lufuno na u pfesesa, vhudikumedzeli na tshilidzi
Na vhudzimu hawe khofheni hanga
A tshi mpha tshiga tsha tshilalelo tshivhi
Ndo fara minwaha ya tahe namusi
Ndi dzima makhandela nda bula itsho tshine nda tama
"Khotsi, nkhangwele zwivhi zwanga...
Kha ndi vhe na iwe ndi saathu u fara minwaha ya fumi"
Keletso ya Letsatsi la me la Matsalo (Setswana translation)
O rile ga a battle go swa, sesupa-bosetsana ba me ntlheng ya botshelo jwa gagwe
Ke bolokile matshelo a 100 fa e sale ke tsalwa
Mo gare ga dinao tsa me ke poloko ya gagwe
O bua ka lorato le tlhaloganyo, ineetseng tumelong le tshegofatso
Bonna ba gagwe mo sefatlhegong sa me.
A neela sakaramente ya selalelo sa gagwe se se tlhokang boitshepo
Ke na le dingwaga tse di robong gompieno
Butswela dikerese le go dira keletso
"Rara, ka kopo intshwarele dibe tsa me...
A ke go sale morago pele ke dira dingwaga tse lesome"
Takatso ya ka ya tsatsi la matswalo (Sesotho translation)
O itse ha a batle ho shwa, sesupa-borwetsana ba ka bakeng sa bophelo ba hae
Ke bolokile maphelo a 100 haesale ke tswetswe
Pakeng tsa maoto a ka ke pholoso ya hae
O bua ka lerato le kutlwisiso, boineelo tumelong le mohau
Botona ba hae bo le sefahlehong sa ka
A mpha sakramente ya selallo sa hae se sa halaleleng
Ke na le dilemo tse robong kajeno
Tima dikerese, le ho etsa takatso
"Ntate, ka kopo ntshwarele dibe tsa ka ...
Ntumelle ho tla ho wena pele ke eba le dilemo tse leshome"
Takat·o ya matswalo a ka (Sesotho sa Leboa translation)
O rile ga a nyake go hwa, haemene ya ka go bophelo bja gagwe
Ke pholo·it·e maphelo a 100 go tloga mola ke tswalwago
Gare ga maoto a ka ke pholo·o ya gagwe.
O bolela ka lerato le kwe·i·o, go ikokobet·a le kgaogelo
Le setho sa bonna bja gagwe sefahlegong sa ka
A mpha sakramente ya selalelo sa gagwe seo e sego se sekgethwa
Ke nale mengwaga e senyane lehono
Tima dikerese o bolele seo o sedumago
Tate ntshwarele dibe t·a ka hle...
A ke be le wena pele ke fihla mengwaga e lesome
Tifiso tami telusuku lwekutalwa (Siswati translation)
Utsite akafuni kufa, ngifunga gebuntfombi bami
Ngisindzisee timphilo letili-100 solo ngatalwa
Emkhatsini wetinyawo tami kunensindziso yakhe
Ukhuluma ngelutsandvo kanyenekuvisisa, kukholwa kanye nemusa
Ngendvuku yakhe ebusweni bami
Ngiphiwa ngemusa lokungakalungi
Ngihlanganisa iminyaka leyimfica namuhla
"Babe, ngicela ungitsetselele tono tami...
Angihlanganyele nawe ngingakabi nelishumi leminyaka''
Isifiso sami ngelanga lamabeletho (IsiNdebele translation)
Uthi akafuni ukuhlongakala, ngizilondoloza ngizilondolozela ipilo yakhe
Ngiphephise amaphilo ayikhulu kusukela ngibelethwa
Hlangana nemilemze yami kukusindiswa kwakhe
Ukhuluma ngethando begodu, nokuzwisisana ukurhawukela nomusa
Ngomthondo wakhe ebusweni bami
Angipha isipho sabelana ngenolwana.
Ngiba neminyaka elithoba namhlanjesi
Qima amakerese ube nesifiso
"Baba ngibawa uthethelele izono zami...
Ngibawa ukuhlanganyela nawe ngaphambi kobana ngibe neminyaka elisumi"
Ku navela kanga ka siku ro velekiwa (Xitsonga translation)
U te anga lavi ku fa, mbewu ya nga ya vununa ya vutomi byakwe
Ndzi ponise vutomi bya 100 ku suka eku velekiweni
Xikarhi ka milenge yanga i ku ponisiwa ka yena
U vulavula hi rirhandzu na ku twisisa,vukhongeri na musa
Hi vununa byakwe exikandzeni xa mina
A ndzi nyikela hi twela vusiwana xilalelo xa yena xo nyama
Ndzi fikisile nkaye namutlha
Tima makhandlela, u vika ku navela kaku
"Tatana,ndzi rivalele swidyoho swanga...
Wo ndzi ku joyina ndzi nga se fikisa khume"
"Ukunqamuka Kwe Mbeleko" by Nomusa Makhubu
"Look at Me," poem by Khona Dlamini
do not let your eyes
turn away from the contours of my being
i am the child whose life
is ordered by numbers
who is mothered by the social system
fathered by the education system
not through me
let butterflies flow from your lips
to caress the catacombs in my heart
I AM/ MATTER
(Sesotho translation of poem extract by MP Letsie)
dirurubele di phalle ho tswa dipounameng tsa hao
ho phaphatha mabitla a ka pelong ya ka
le ho tseba hore
o se ke wa ntlodisa mahlo
"Where are the Cows?" by Beverley Samler
"Looking up," poem by Finuala Dowling
But we didn't come.
We've had a lot of new stuff to look after
Of course, when we read how you'd died,
Yet it's true that the moment before you died,
"Boy" by Este Macleod
"A Child Dreaming," poem by Zandra Bezuidenhout
I am a child of many dreams:
I'd love to be a soaring eagle
or a lofty yellowwood tree.
Wonders might happen
if I am treated with respect,
as children's rights are rooted
in a moral alphabet.
I pray that you will from today
respect my life in every way,
that I may grow and flourish fearlessly
until one day I do become
"Kind Wat Droom"
(Afrikaans Translation by Zandra Bezuidenhout)
Ek is ‘n kind. Ek droom
ek word ‘n witkruisarend
of ‘n reuse geelhoutboom.
Wonders kan gebeur
as jul my lewe respekteer.
Ek vra dat jul my regte
op die hart sal dra.
Laat my in veiligheid
op hierdie aarde woon.
dat ek kan groei en blom
te word wat ek moet wees.
"This Is My Story" by Marjorie Maleka
"Mary Mother of No-One" by Lindiwe Nkutha
Yet again unfounded myths
re-write themselves on my body
faceless malevolent voices
proclaim me the virginal cleanser
of heartache and dis-ease
while taking turns to fill me to the brim with same
my shrills swathed in regal stoles of collective silence
lie behind consensual paralytic truths
that have never walked,
let alone flown
i watch with a throat full of swallowed words
while my consent is sacrificed on alters to inconsiderate gods
it crushes the bones in my heart
that no one ever hears the
two, sometimes three, mostly seven pleadings
that drip out of the sides of my mouth
onto my pillow now gone deaf
will somebody, anybody...
"Ngingu Maria Uma Kamuntu"
Kwenzeka futhi, izinganekwane ezingena msusa
Zizibhala emzimbeni wami
Amaphimbo anomunyu kodwa angenabo ubuso
Ogeza izinhlungu zenhliziyo nezifo zonke
Ngaleso sikhathi agcwalisa ubunjalo bami ngalezo zinhlungu
Izikhalo zami zemboswe ngengubo yobukhosi engasho lutho
Yona egquma amaqiniso akhubazekile
futhi angeke andize
Konke lokhu ngikubuka umphimbo wami ugcwele
Amagama engingakwazi ukuwagwinya
Kwenziwa izihlabelo egameni lami ngokuvuma kwami
Kwenzelwa onkulunkulu abengenandaba
ukhona mumbe, nanomawubani ...
masibambisaneni siphelise lomkhuba.
"A Flower For Malika" by Judith Mason
"Girl Child" by Malika Ndlovu
Where Aand youth
Mis-led and mis-educated
Under Moon's glow
(IsiZulu Translation Coordinated by Dr Maria Letsie)
"Dancing with Angels" by Mavis Smallberg
there's a rustling of angel wings swift in the air
there's a sounding of spirit war stirring the air
(Afrikaans translation of poem extract by Marí Peté)
sy begin nuwe slaapliedjies sing, nuwe drome droom
saam met engele dans om haar kind te genees