Lesson 12:
Review

Read the following passage in Swahili. Try to understand as much as you can without looking at the English translation and then check your understanding by reading the translation.

Kusaidia Majirani

Kusaidiana ni jambo muhimu sana katika utamaduni wa Waswahili. Majirani wengi huishi kama ndugu. Kama unahamia katika nyumba mpya, ni vizuri kuenda kuwasalimia majirani na kujitambulisha.

Majirani wanaweza kuja kuazima au kuomba kitu kutoka nyumba yako. Na wewe unaweza kufanya hivyo ukitaka. Kwa mfano jirani anaweza kuja kuazima pasi au baiskeli. Kama una gari majirani wanaweza kuja kukuomba uwasaidie usafiri kwa mfano wa kuenda kupeleka mgonjwa hospitali. Kama nyumba yako ina kisima au ina maji ya bomba, majirani wanaweza kuja kuomba maji kama wao hawana. Kama utapata matatizo ya ghafla katika nyumba yako kama vile moto, basi majirani hufika kwanza kabla ya watu wa zima moto na kuweza kukusaidia.

Majirani pia hutembeleana kama mmoja ana matatizo. Kwa mfano wakati wa msiba majirani hupeana pole. Kama jirani mmoja ni mgonjwa wengine huenda kumuangalia. Haya ndio maisha ambayo majirani wanaishi katika nchi za waswahili.

Helping Your Neighbors

Helping one another is very important in Swahili culture. Many neighbors live like relatives. If you move into a new house, it’s a good idea to go and see your neighbors and introduce yourself.

Neighbors may come and ask for or borrow something from you. You can do the same thing if you want. For example, a neighbor could come and borrow an iron or a bicycle. If you have a car, neighbors could come and ask for a ride to the hospital in order to take a sick person. If your house has a well or has running water, neighbors could come to ask for water if they don’t have any. If you have an emergency in your house like a fire, your neighbors will be the first to come to try to help before the firemen.

Neighbors also visit each other if someone has some problem. For example, during a time of grieving, neighbors console one another. If a neighbor is sick, others will go and pay a visit. This is a typical life for neighbors in Swahili culture.