Overview
- Lesson Title: Water Vending Is Profitable in Abuja-This editorial addresses the multiple challenges undermining the lucrative water vending business in Abuja, Nigeria.
- Language: Hausa
- Topic: Culture/Society
- ILR Level: 2+/3
- ACTFL Proficiency: Superior, Advanced-High; This ACTFL rating is an approximation based on the ILR level
- Modality: Reading
- Learning Objective: Maintenance & Improvement
- Subject Area: Language
- Material Type: LO
- Publication Year: 2007
- ObjectID: HAUS_12109
Transcript
| Original | Translation |
|---|---|
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Water Vending is Profitable in Abuja Sana’ar ga ruwa na ci a Abuja Inji Malam Hashimu NOTE: ”Q” represents the Hausa hooked ”K” “X” represents the Hausa hooked “D” “V” represents the Hausa hooked “B” Sana’ar ga ruwa , sana’a ce wacce rashin wadatar ruwa ya haifar da ita. Samari majiya qarfi galibi daga ’yan shekara 18-40 ne aka fi sani da aiwatar da wannan sana’a. Masu gudanar da wannan sana’a ta ‘ga- ruwa’ da kan yi amfani da kura domin xaukar ruwan kimanin lita 25, sukan yi yawo ne domin tallata wannan ruwa, wasu kuwa sukan tare a waje xaya ne su jira wanda Allah Zai kawo. Galibi dai rin waxannan masu sana’a ta garuruwa sukan yi yawo ne a wuraren da ruwa yake da matuqar qaranci. Unguwar Gwatimpa na xaya daga cikin irin waxannan unguwanni. Duk da cewa wasu masu hannu da shuni kan yi qoqarin haka rijiyoyi ko kuma burtsatse, amma wasu sukan dogara ne ga ‘’yan garuwa. A wannan Unguwa ce ta Gwarimpa, wadda take cikin garin Abuja, Aminiya ta yi kicivis da cincirindon irin waxannan masu sana’a da garuwa kuma ta nemi jin tab akin wani daga cikinsu, wanda ya bayyana cewa sunansa Malam Hashimu, kuma yana da kimanin shekara 34. Malam Hashimu ya ce ya zo tun daga Katsina ne don neman abincinsa a Abuja, Allah kuma ya haxa shi da wannan sana’a. Hashimu ya ce ya tsinci kansa cikin wannan sana’a tun shekara ta 2001 lokacin da aka ba shi hayar kura wadda yake gudanar da wannan sana’a da ita. Hashimu ya ce yakan fita tun qarfe 6 na safe zuwa Gwarimpa “phase I” inda sukan samo ruwan kuma yakan yi asubanci ne domin cincirindon da ake yi a wurin samun ruwan, inda ta kai ga “idan ka sake ka makara to fa za ka bi dogon layi.” Hashimu ya ce duk da asubancin da yake yi yakan tarar da mutane biya ko shida a gabansa. Bayan ya samu ya cika kurarsa wacce take xaukar jarka talatin zuwa ind ayake zama don masu buqata. Hashimu ya ce shi da ’yan uwansa sukan jera kurar xaukar ruwansu a gefen titi domin su jira wanda Allah Zai kawo. Ya ce “idan kuma kana da wani abokin hulxa to sai ka je ka kai masa ruwa har inda yake. Ya ce sukan sayar da jarka xai-xai har zuwa kura guda ya danganci dai yadda mutum yake buqata, Hashimu ya ce idan ruwansa ya qare, ya kan koma inda suke xebo wannan ruwan don kada a nemi ruwan a rasa. Ya ce a kullum yakan yi sawu biyar zuwa bakwai. Da Aminiya ta tambaye shi ko nawa yake samu a rana? Sai ya ce yakan sami har N1,000 zuwa N1,200 a kullum rana ta Allah, wani lokacin ma fiye da haka. Malam Hashimu ya ce galibi cinikin ruwa ya fi bunqasa lokacin damina, a inda aka gudanar da gine-gine da yawa a wannan a lokaci. A saboda haka magina sukan buqaci ruwan kodayaushe domin yin bulo da kwava simunti da dai sauransu. Ya qare da cewa kuma a lokacin ne, ’yan uwansa masu gudanar da irin wannan sana’a sukan koma garuruwansu (tunda akasarinsu ba ’yan garin Abuja ba ne), don yin aikin gona. To saboda raguwar ’yan garuruwa a wannan lokaci, mu waxanda ke nan mukan ci matuqar ribar wannan sana’a. Hashimu ya ce ruwa ko iska ba su tava hana su fitowa don gudanar da wannan sana’a ba duk da cewa Abuja gari ne da ake samun yawan ruwa lokacin damina Hashimu ya qara da cewa ya kan ba mai kurarsa N400 a duk mako, kuxin hayar kura, ko ya yi ciniki ko bai yi ba. Da Aminiya ta tambaye shi idan kurar ta lalace wa ke da alhakin gyara ta sai ya ce “Idan wurin qaramin gyara ne, nakan yi amfani da kuxina don gyara, amma idan babban gyara ya taso wanda ya danganci canza tayoyi, to yak an kai kukan ga maigidansa, inda yakan umarce shi da ya gyara, tare da cire kuxinsa daga baya. Da Aminiya ta tambayi waxanne irin matsaloli suke fuskanta a cikin wannan sana’a? Malam Hashimu y ace shi ko kaxan bai tava gajiyawa ba, domin kuwa it ace hanyar cin abincinsa da Allah ya zavar masa. Amma a wani vangaren duk da haka a cewar Hashimu, ’yan garuwa sukan fuskanci cin zarafi da qazafi iri-iri daga jami’an tsaro, musamman ’yan sanda yayin gudanar da wannan sana’a. Ya ce sau da yawa, ’yan sanda kan kama su, su yi masu sharrin cewa su masu shaye-shaye ne, wani lokacin ma har da qazafin sata, amma da an yi ’yar tafiya sai ’yan sanda su nemi a ba su wani abu don a kashe magana. Ya ce sau da yawa sai sun ba ’yan sanda Naira xari huxu (N400) zuwa xari biyar (N500) don gudun kada su kai su ofishinsu. “Amma duk da haka wannan bai hana mu neman abincinmu ba, domin kuwa muna tare da Allah.” Malam Hashimu wanda yake da mata xaya da ’ya’ya biyu tare da mahaifa, ya yi wa Allah godiya bisa wannan sana’a tasa, domin ya ce a ciki yake ciyar da iyalinsa kuma ya taimaka wa mahaifansa. |
Water Vending is Profitable in Abuja Water Selling is Profitable in Abuja, says Malam Hashimu Water selling is a trade that has arisen due to the lack of sufficient (public) water. It is usually strong young men, between the ages of 18 and 40, who are best known for engaging in this trade. Those who engage in this trade (known for their call of “water here”), and who typically use a hand cart to transport approximately 25 liters at a time, tend to wander from place to place in order to offer their water for sale; others position themselves in one spot to wait for whomever God may bring along to them. The majority of those who engage in this trade in towns tend to together in places where water is in very short supply. The Gwarimpa area is one of these of neighborhoods. Although some middle-class residents [“those with indigo-stained hands”; (the rich ones) so-called due to the status of traditional Hausa dyers] try to dig makeshift wells or boreholes, but others typically rely on water venders. In this neighborhood of Gwarimpa, located in the city of Abuja, Aminiya newspaper came across a gathering of these water vendors and asked to hear directly from one of them, who explained that his name was Malam Hashimu, and that he was about 34 years old. Malam Hashimu said that he had come all the way from Katsina to seek his livelihood [“his food”] in Abuja, and that God had provided him with this trade. Hashimu said that he had found himself in this trade by chance in 2001, when he got a rented hand cart with which to engage in this business. Hashimu said he usually goes out by 6 a.m. towards the Gwarimpa “Phase 1” area, where they obtain water, and that he makes an early start because of the crowd that gathers at the water depot, which can reach a point that “if you’re careless and running late, then you’ll have to wait in a long line.” Hashimu said that even with the early start, he usually meets up with five or six people in front of him. After getting around to filling up his cart, which carries about 30 jerry-cans, he moves on to the places where the water is needed. [ Hashimu said he and his fellow vendors tend to line up the carts, loaded with their water, at the edge of the street to wait for whomever God might bring their way. “But if you have a regular customer,” he said, “then you go and bring him water wherever he might be.” He said they sell jerry-cans one by one, up to a whole cartful, depending on what a person needs. Hashimu said that when his water runs out, he returns to where they draw the water so that no one looking for water will go without. He said he usually does this five to eight times a day. When Aminiya asked him how much he earns in a day, he said that he typically gets somewhere between 1000 and 1200 Naira [about $8 or $9 US (2007)] every day, God willing, sometimes even more. Malam Hashimu said the water business usually grows during the rainy season, when there’s a lot of construction going on. This is because builders need water all the time for making bricks, mixing cement, and other uses. He added that during this period, his fellow operators in the trade tend to go back to their own towns (since most of them are not originally from Abuja) to farm. This because of the decrease in the number of vendors at this time, those who stay on there makes the greatest profit in the trade. Hashimu said neither rain nor wind has ever prevented them from going out to carry on their trade, even though Abuja is a town that gets a lot of rain during the rainy season. Hashimu added that he gives the owner of his cart 400 Naira [about $3 US (2007)] every week as the rental fee, whether he does any business or not. When Aminiya asked him who was responsible for repairs if the cart breaks down, he said, “When it’s a case of a minor repair, I use my own money to fix it; but if a big repair comes up that involves changing the tires, then he reports the requirement to the cart’s owner and orders him to fix it, while Hashimu keeps his own money at the same time. When Aminiya asked what kind of problems water vendors face in this trade, Malam Hashimu said he’s never felt the least bit tired of it, because it’s the path to his livelihood that God chose for him. But all the same, in some areas, according to Hashimu, water vendors face all sorts of harassment and false accusations from security officials, especially the police, while engaging in this trade. He said that the police arrest them often and do wicked things to them, calling them drunkards and at times even accusing them of stealing, and when you try to move along, the police expect to be given something to keep them quiet. He said they often give the police four hundred (400) to five hundred (500) Naira [about $3.50 US (2007)] to avoid being taken into custody. “But nevertheless, this hasn’t prevented us from pursuing our livelihood, because God is with us.” Malam Hashimu, who has one wife and two children, along with his parents, thanks God for this trade of his, for he said that it lets him provide for his family and help his parents. |
Glossary
| Hausa | Hausa Meaning | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Sana'ar ga ruwa | San'ar saida ruwa. | Water vending business by men pushing carts of water containers. The vendors used to announce their presence by chanting the words "ga ruwa," which became their name. |
| Jiran wanda Allah Zai kawo. | Suna jiran mutane da za su so su saye ruwa. | They were hoping for customers. |
| Burtsatse | Wata hanya da ake jawo ruwa daga ƙasa kamar ruwan rijiya. | A drilled well that people can draw water from by pumping, in contrast to the traditional well. |
| yi kicivis da cincirindon | Ana nufin,haɗuwar ba zata, ɗan jaridar ya gamu da gungun ƴan ga ruwa. | The journalist came across a group of vendors unexpectedly. |
| Kullum rana ta Allah | Wannan yana nufin kowace rana. | Every single day |
| sukan fuskanci cin zarafi da qazafi. | Ana wulaƙanta su da kuma yi masu zargi na abubuwa maras kyau ko ba lalle sun yi su ba. | The vendors face humiliation and accusations that are not justified. |
| masu shaye-shaye | Wannan yana iya nufin mutane masu anfani da ƙwayoyi masu juya hankali. | This term refers to people who use drugs to get high. |
| Domin kuwa muna tare da Allah | Wannan maganar ta ɗan ga ruwan tana nufin, shi da mutane kamar shi suna nagartattar rayuwa. | This comment means that the vendor assumes that he lives a blameless lifestyle, and so do other vendors. |
| Gajiyawa | kasawa, watau mutum ya kasa ci gaba da wani abu. | To give up on something |
| Asubanci | Tun da safe, watau tun gari bai waye ba. | Very, very early in the morning, before the sun comes up |
Notes
| Hausa Notes | English Notes |
|---|---|
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Water Vending is Profitable in Abuja Ruwa muhimmin abu ne ga rayuwa, kuma ga tattalin arzikin ƙasa da zaman lafiyanta. Sarrafa albarkatun ruwa ya zama tilas ga wasu ƙasashe, har dai ƙasashe kamar Nijeriya da ke kokowar tattalin al'uma mai yawaita a akarkara wacda take mai yanayin shigewa cikin matsalar cututtuka da ke samuwa cikin ruwan. Nijeriya Ƙasa ce mda tafi yawan mutane, kuma ɗaya daga cikin mayan ƙasashen Afirka kuma ko da shike tana da iyaka da teku `atlantic' akwai ƙaramcin ruwa matsala ce da ya kamata a duba. Amfani da ruwan ƙasa a yankin faƙo mai rashin ruwa yana bukata tattali don a tabbatar da akwai issashen ruwan domin tattalin abinci da noma ta wurin ban ruwa. Ya cancanta a tabbatar da akwai ruwa mai lafiya cikin gidaje. Don ƙarin bayyani, a duba: http://www.uneca.org/awich/NATIONAL%20GROWTH,%20WATER |
Water Vending is Profitable in Abuja Water is essential to life, and important for a country's economic stability. Management of water resources is imperative for many countries, especially countries like Nigeria that struggle to sustain a growing population in rural areas vulnerable to water-related diseases. Nigeria is the most populous, and one of the largest, of African countries. Although it borders the Atlantic Ocean, water supply is an issue the country must examine. Exploitation of groundwater in floodplains in semi-arid areas means good management is required to ensure availability and to meet the nation's demands for food and crop production by irrigation. Potable water is needed, as well, for domestic use. For more information, refer to: http://www.uneca.org/awich/NATIONAL%20GROWTH,%20WATER 20WATER |
CONTENT SOURCE: Ibrahim Mijinyawa (2007, March 16). Water Vending is Profitable in Abuja. Abuja, Nigeria: Media Trust Limited (AMINIYA NEWSPAPER). http://www.dailytrust.com/sana'a.htm
Objective: Demonstrate your core comprehension.
Content description: This editorial addresses the multiple challenges undermining the lucrative water vending business in Abuja, Nigeria.
XML
<activity>
<problemset>
<problem correctindex="1">
<choices>
<opt>
<eng-response>A journalist relates the difficult but rewarding water vending business with an example of a vendor’s daily life in this editorial. Most of the men who sell water daily in Abuja, Nigeria are farmers who leave rural areas in search of extra income to sustain their families. They face numerous challenges in supplying water to a needy community that lacks infrastructure. Although vendors make money in the business, the abundant rains in Abuja pose an obstacle, because demand is not as high at that time; therefore, some go back to their villages. According to Hashimu, a vendor, frequent threats from corrupt police are costly and a major impediment to vending, but, says the journalist in a supportive description of the vendors’ hardship, vendors take pride in their efforts.</eng-response>
<response>Wani ɗan jarida yana faɗa irin matsala, da anfanin sana'ar ga ruwa, da misalin rayuwar wani ɗan ga ruwa cikin wannan shafin ra'ayin. Yawancin masu saida ruwa kowace rana a Abuja, manoma ne da sun bar karkara wurin neman sana'a mai ba su dama su riƙe iyalansu. Suna fuskantar matsaloli da yawa yayinda suke biyan buƙatar al'uma da ruwa
domin akwai rashin shi garesu. Duk da yake ƴan ga ruwa suna samun kuɗi cikin wannan safara, yawaitar ruwan damina a Abuja yana kawo cikas saboda bukatar ruwa tana ragewa, haka kuma wasu ƴan ga ruwan su kan koma karkara. Hashimu, wani ɗan ga ruwa ya nuna cewa yawan muzguna da rashawar ƴan sanda suna ragewa ƴan ga ruwa wadata don ya zama ɓarnar kuɗi amma suna bugun gaba da shi ɗan jaridar ya ce da nuna tausayi cikin bayyani da ya bada bisa wuyar aikin.</response>
<eng-fdbk>Incorrect! This choice is not correct because it presents the rainy season as a slow period in the business, while the text shows it as a busy time, a time when some vendors leave for rural areas to farm. Think about the different activities that take place at the same time. What impact do they have on water vending business?</eng-fdbk>
<fdbk>Ba daidai ba ne! Wannan zaɓen ba daidai ne ba saboda a nuna lokacin damina kamar lokaci da bukatar ruwa tana ragewa kuma sana'ar ba ta tafiya da kyau, amma labarin yana nuna lokacin damina ne aiki da sana'ar suki yawa, kuma lokaci ne da wasu ƴan ga ruwa suke komawa karkara don noma.
A yi tunani bisa ayyukan da ake yi cikin wannan lokacin; yaya suke shafar sana'ar ga ruwa?</fdbk>
</opt>
<opt>
<eng-response>The author of this editorial presents the struggles of hard-working water vendors in Abuja to run a strenuous business in a corrupt environment. The demand for water supply for desperate communities and for seasonal construction projects make people like Hashimu successful and helpful, living a lifestyle that the journalist depicts as a sacrifice. According to the journalist, they live a hard life, helping communities and families daily, despite their lack of personal equipment, the long walk between source of water and destination, the long hours spent working, and frequent harassment from corrupt police who accuse them of using drugs and even of stealing. The relentless vendors are also farmers from various rural areas, to which some of them return during rainy season, which is farming season as well.</eng-response>
<response>Marubucin wannan shafin ra'ayin yana nuna dagar ƴan ga ruwa da suke aiki tuƙuru domin su ci gaba da sana'arsu duk da halin rashawa da suke aikin ciki. Rashin wadatar ruwa ga al'uma da aikin gine-gine a damina sun sa mutane kamar Hashimu, wanda ya shiga sana'ar, su ci nasarar aikin, game da yin taimako. Suna bada kansu ga ɗauke wa al'umar da iyalansu wahala kullum, cikin rayuwa mai tsananin wuya. Duk da rashin kayan aiki na kansu, da tsawon tafiya, neman ruwan da kai shi, da lokacin aiki, da kuma hawaitar muzguna daga ƴan sanda masu rashawa da ke zargin su da shaye- shaye ko ma da sata, suna himma, ɗan jaridar ya maimaita. Su ƴan ga ruwan kuma manoma ne da sun zo daga karakara daban-daban inda waɗansu su kan koma lokacin damina, lokacin aikin gona kuma.</response>
<eng-fdbk>Correct! This is the best choice because it reflects the conditions in which water vending business is run and also the writer's supportive comments about the vendors in the description of their hard work.</eng-fdbk>
<fdbk>Daidai ne! Wannan zaɓe mafi kyau ne saboda ya nuna halin da ake yin sana'ar ga ruwa ciki, kuma da ƙarfin gwiwar mai rubutun ga ƴan ga ruwan cikin kwatanci tsananin aikinsu da yake nunawa.</fdbk>
</opt>
<opt>
<eng-response>This is an editorial about water scarcity in Abuja. The lack of water has created a subsistence business where individuals, renters, and family work together to make ends meet. Hardworking men like Hashimu keep their communities supplied with water that they haul from long distances all day long, regardless of how good or bad the weather is. The rainy season is the busiest time of the year because there is a higher demand due to construction projects and farm work. The journalist describes the water vendors as strong and relentless middle-aged men who have to rely on other businesses to survive, with little or no support from society. Their questionable strength triggers suspicion and harsh treatment by the police.</eng-response>
<response>Wannan shafin ra'ayi ne bisa rashin ruwa cikin Abuja. Wannan rashin ya kawo wani salon sana'a inda ɗaiɗaikun mutane, da masu haya, da iyalai suke aiki tare domin biyan buƙatunsu. Mazaje ne masu aiki tuƙuru kamar Hashimu, suna ba al'umarsu ruwa da suke samu daga wurare masu tazara, kowace rana komi zafi ko iska. Lokaci damina shine lokaci mafi aiki saboda akwai bukatar ruwa don aikin gina, sai kuma noma. Ɗan jaridar yana kwatamta ƴan ga ruwan da majiya ƙarfin mazaje, masu aiki sosai, da sai sun raɓa ga wasu sana'oi domin su yi aiki, amma akwai wani abin shakka a kan ƙarfinsu da ya kan sa ƴan sanda su dame su.</response>
<eng-fdbk>Incorrect! This choice is not correct because the main idea is not water scarcity in Abuja, but the water vending business.The police's attitude towards vendors is also misinterpreted. Please read the last paragraph again. What does the author say about the police's attitude?</eng-fdbk>
<fdbk>Ba daidai ba ne! Wannan zaɓen ba daidai ne ba saboda kan maganar ba rashin ruwa a Abuja ne ba, amma sana'ar ga ruwa. Akwai kuma canji ga yadda ɗan jaridar ya faɗa abinda ƴan sanda suke yi wa ƴan ga ruwa. Ku ƙara karanta ƙarshen labarin. Mi mai rubutun ya ce bisa halin ƴan sanda?</fdbk>
</opt>
</choices>
</problem>
</problemset>
<instr type="eng">INSTRUCTIONS:
Choose the best summary.</instr>
<instr type="target">Umurni:Zaɓi taƙaitawa mafi dacewa.</instr>
<finishtl>A ganinku wannan sana'ar ga ruwa tana taimakon jama'a in an duba misalin Hashimu? Ku bada hujja ko hujjojinku.</finishtl>
<finish>Do you think the water vending business helps the community, considering the case of Hashimu? Why or why not?</finish>
<finishtl>A ganinku wannan sana'a, sana'a ce da ya kamata a tsaida don a hana mutane karkara da gudun karkarar? Ku bada ra'ayinku.</finishtl>
<finish>Do you see this business as one to prohibit in order to stop rural exodus? Why or why not?</finish>
<finishtl>Yaya kuke ganin ƴan ga ruwa za su iya tsaida rashawa da shike dai suna aiki mai wuya don su samu kuɗi?</finishtl>
<finish>How could vendors stop corruption, considering how hard they work for their money?</finish>
</activity>