መዘምር The Citizen Journalist from Ethiopia: THIS IS A THREE DAY STORY

THIS IS A THREE DAY STORY THAT UNFOLDS IN KEMISE.

Script writer – Mezemir Girma

Primary Learning Objective – The primary learning objective of this episode is to teach children learn and apply some safety rules around the house.

Secondary Objective: The secondary objective is to develop in children an awareness of some of the cultural features of their societies.

Synopsis: Olyad falls down from a big Shola tree while he was trying to take some fruits down. He injured his leg and he was given a massage by a local physiotherapist. His friend, Fuad, tells his classmates that Olyad was sick, and the whole class visited the sick boy. Olyad’s parents, the teacher, and the students raise some safety issues, and they stress the need for the application of the safety rules in children’s lives. The following day, Olyad recovers and walks to school.

[Olyad is asleep in bed.]

Dad: Olyad, haven’t you woken up?

Olyad: Dad I am sick.

Dad: Oh my son! Is last night’s accident still affecting you?

Olyad: Dadi, I cannot move my leg.

[Dad goes to Olyad’s room, looks at Olyad’s left leg and tries to see the swelling, which was big.]

Dad: Oli let me call Etye Zenebech, and I will be back. My love, please take care of our son until I call her.

[Dad rides his horse to Etye Zenebech’s home to call her.]

Dad: Morning Etye.

Etye Zenebech: Morning.

Dad: Etye Zenebech, you are hard working. I see you working in this garden every time I come here.

Etye Zenebech: I was at the church in the early morning, and I have just started weeding.

What brought you here this morning? Is everything safe?

Dad: Olyad fell from the Shola tree yesterday.

Etye Zenebech: Oh my son, why did he climb that big Shola tree?

Dad: We did not see him. He used the ladder and the ladder fell. He wanted to eat the Shola fruits.

[Dad took Etye Zenebech on horseback to his home.]

Etye Zenebech: Oli, my lion, the good boy, I never forget the water you fetched me from the stream. Where is he sleeping? [She goes to his room.]

[Mom carries Olyad and takes him to the mattress on the floor.]

Olyad: Oh my leg! Eh! Eh! Eh!

Dad: Oli, you will recover soon! Etye Zenebech will treat you well.

Etye Zenebech: Bring some hot water and butter.

Olyad: Don’t touch my leg please Mama Zenebech. It is painful! Mama Zenebech, please leave me alone, go to your home. I will go to school with my friends.

Fuad: [calling from outside] Olyad, the sun has risen, let us go to school. Hurry up please!

Dad: Fuad, he will not go to school today. He is sick. You will visit him when you come back.

Fuad: Oh my friend! Let me visit him now.

Dad: Fuad he will say he has to go with you. Please go with Shambel and Addis.

Fuad: Ok Olyad’s father. We will visit him in the afternoon.

Dad: Yes, when you go please watch out the dogs at Worke’s house.

Fuad: Ok I will not get closer to where the dog sleeps.

[Etye Zenebech washes Olyad’s leg with hot water and starts to smear it with the butter. Olyad weeps.]

Dad: Olyad please don’t cry. You will recover soon.

Olyad: Don’t touch that part Mama Zenebech. Uuuuu!!

Mom: Oli, once you finish this, I will make you a good breakfast.

Dad: You will make him a good chechebsa.

[Etye Zenebech wraps the knee with a bandage and finishes the treatment.]

Etye Zenebech: Olyad you will walk safe just tomorrow. Let me go home. I will bring you milk after I milk the cows.

Dad: You will go after you drink coffee Etye Zenebech.

Etye Zenebech: You know I have to look after the cows till the kids come from school. Let me go just now please.

Mom: Okay Etye Zenebech. Please come in the afternoon when the kids come back and replace you look after the cows.

Mother Zenebech: Bye! Olyad! Nagaatti olii!

Mom: Dad I am making the coffee. Please take Oli to the main room.

[Dad takes Oli to the main room.]

[Mom brings coffee and all the coffee gears.]

Dad: Olyad, drink this cup of tea. I and your mother will drink coffee.

Mom: Oli, didn’t I tell you not to climb that tree? Didn’t I say that you should ask us to bring you fruits down? What if the ladder fell on the girl?

Dad: [to Mom] My love, last time you remember that he spilt the boiling water from the stove on his sister’s leg when he was walking fast.

[Olyad cries.]

Dad: Why are you crying? It is your mistake, isn’t it? Drink the cup of tea now.

[Olyad drinks the cup of tea.]

Mom: Have you forgotten what the nurse told you when she treated your sister?

Olyad: She said, “Keep everything clean including pets and play carefully.”

Mom: She also told you, above all, to respect family orders.

Dad: Don’t sit on things tilted. Do you remember this?

Olyad: She also told me not to put into my mouth a dirty material or anything that is not food.

Dad: You just know everything it is only when it comes to applying these that you fail. How would you forget her advice?

Olyad: Dad, I wanted Shola when you were away. I wanted to give it to my sister because she asked me to give her.

Mom: Whoever says whatever they want to say, will you expose yourself to danger? She is a small kid. Why didn’t you tell her to wait till father comes?

[Dad goes out, climbs up the tree using the ladder and brings as much Shola fruits as possible. As he comes back the main room, he saw twenty five of Olyad’s classmates coming to his home with their teacher.]

Dad: [calling out to Olyad] Olyad your teacher and classmates are here to visit you.

Olyad: [looking to the door] Oh! Where are they?

Dad: Oh have you come? Please go in.

Wasiya: Ok sir! How is Oliyad?

Dad: He is good. Let us go in and you will see him.

Teacher: Good morning Oliyad’s father. Is your dog tied?

Dad: Good morning miss Etsegenet. Yes! It is in its cage. Don’t worry. Come in, please.

Teacher: Is Oliyad doing well? It is Fuad who told me this morning, and I decided to bring the students here during their break time.

Dad: Yeah! He is recovering. Please go in.

[All of them go into the house.]

Teacher: Olyad how are you doing?

Olyad: I am good.

Teacher: Can you show me your sick leg?

Olyad: Yes.

Teacher: Oh it is a minor injury. It will come to normal soon.

Dad: We hope so.

Teacher: I want students who are the members of the Red Cross to remind us something. What did the nurse teach you last time? What are the preventable problems you may face?

Shewa: Don’t play on dirty places.

Beeminet: What about fire?

Teacher: Yes it is the most destructive thing if used improperly.

Kahsay: Teacher, in addition to this, we should void slippery places that result from spilling water on surfaces.

Abdu: Children must use electric materials carefully. Don’t touch switches with wet hand if they are vulnerable.

Sakote: Bathing and swimming should only be with the guidance of with parents or grownups.

Hadas: Children should avoid using chemicals and drugs except with the help of grownups.

Teacher: Can you tell us what you mean by chemicals and drugs?

Hadas: Teacher, chemicals are things like detergents and acid. Drugs are that doctors give us when we are sick. The nurse told us last time that we should not take tablets or any medicine prescribed for other people.

Hundesa: Avoid touching and using sharp materials and keeping away from kitchens.

Zinash: Don’t touch your eyes with dirty hands. I want to add to what Hadas just said. Even if a certain medicine is prescribed to us, we should take the amount we are ordered to take.

Kelkay: Use the dust bin properly. As to drugs, they should be paced where children cannot reach.

Teacher: Cool. Children I really appreciate you for your advice. It gives a good lesson for children who don’t know anything about safety.

Mom: Children, even if some kids knew, they may not apply what they know. Our son climbed up that huge tree and fell down. This happened not because he didn’t know that he would fall, but because he is careless.

Teacher: Olyad why did you do that?

Olyad: I wanted Shola fruits.

Teacher: Would you, for example, rush to a running cow because you wanted to drink milk?

Olyad: No.

Teacher: The same is true here. You shouldn’t have climbed up that tree.

Olyad: Sorry teacher.

Teacher: Children, you have seen what happened to him, yes? Please be careful when you play, walk or do anything.

[Dad gives them all Shola fruits and they start eating. They drink the milk Etye Zenebech brought.]

Mom: Olyad!

Olyad: Yes Mom!

Mom: Why don’t you sing them the song that I sang for you last time?

Olyad: Which song mom?

Mom: Since they are eating Shola fruits, sing them ‘Yeshola Fire.*’

Olyad: Before that I have some advice to children. They should also take care of their younger siblings.

[They start to sing.]

Olyad: Yeshola fire nesh

Yeshola fire nesh

Lafuachilish

Mom: Yeshola fire nesh

Yeshola fire nesh

lafuachilish

Olyad: Meseretish girum

Mom: sholaye

Olyad: Keyet new minchish?

Mom and all the other people: Solaye!

Olyad: Gomzhiche metahugn