Before I die I want to... | Candy Chang

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast

Translator: Joachim Mangilima Reviewer: Nelson Simfukwe

Kuna njia nyingi ambazo watu wanaotuzunguka

There are a lot of ways the people around us

can help improve our lives.

wanaweza kuboresha maisha yetu

We don't bump into every neighbor,

Hatuonani na jirani zetu

so a lot of wisdom never gets passed on,

kwa hiyo maarifa mengi yanashindwa kusambaa

though we do share the same public spaces.

pamoja na kwamba wote tunashiriki sehemu zile zile za jamii yote

So over the past few years, I've tried ways to share more

Kwa hiyo miaka michache iliyopita, nimejaribu kutafuta njia za kushirikiana zaidi

with my neighbors in public space,

na majirani zangu katika maeneo ya jamii yote

using simple tools like stickers, stencils and chalk.

Kwa kutumia vifaa rahisi kama stika ,karatasi nyembamba na chaki

Mipango hii ilitokana na maswali niliyokuwa nayo kama

And these projects came from questions I had, like:

Ni kiasi gani majirani zangu wanalipa kwa ajili ya nyumba zao?

How much are my neighbors paying for their apartments?

(Laughter)

(Vicheko) Je ni jinsi gani tunaweza kuazimishana vitu vingi zaidi

How can we lend and borrow more things,

without knocking on each other's doors at a bad time?

bila kugonga katika milango wakati usio mzuri?

How can we share more memories of our abandoned buildings,

Je tunawezaje kushirikishana kumbukumbu zetu zaidi

za majengo yetu yaliyotelekezwa

and gain a better understanding of our landscape?

na kuyaelewa zaidi mazingira yetu

How can we share more of our hopes for our vacant storefronts,

Ni vipi tunaweza kushirikishana matumaini yetu zaidi.

kuhusu maduka yasiyo na watu, ili jamii zetu

so our communities can reflect our needs and dreams today?

ziendane na mahitahi yetu na ndoto zetu?

Sasa naishi New Orleans,

Now, I live in New Orleans,

and I am in love with New Orleans.

Ninaipenda New Orleans

My soul is always soothed by the giant live oak trees,

Nafsi yangu inaburudishwa na miti mikubwa ya mwalo

inayowafunika wapenzi,walevi na watu wanaowaza mambo makubwa

shading lovers, drunks and dreamers for hundreds of years,

kwa mamia ya miaka, na nauamini mji

and I trust a city that always makes way for music.

ambao wakati wote una njia kwa ajili ya muziki

I feel like every time someone sneezes,

Nahisi kama kila wakati ambapo mtu atakuwa anakoroma,

New Orleans has a parade.

New Orleans kuna gwaride.(Vicheko)

(Laughter)

The city has some of the most beautiful architecture in the world,

Mji huu una baadhi ya majengo ambayo ni mazuri sana

katika dunia,lakini pia una namba kubwa

but it also has one of the highest amounts of abandoned properties in America.

ya majengo yaliyotelekezwa katika nchi ya Marekani

Ninaishi karibu na nyumba hii, na nilifikiri ni jinsi gani ninavyoweza

I live near this house,

and I thought about how I could make it a nicer space for my neighborhood,

kuifanya kuwa sehemu nzuri kwa ajili mtaa wangu,

na pia niliwaza kuhusu kitu kingine

and I also thought about something that changed my life forever.

ambacho kilibadilisha maisha yangu milele

In 2009, I lost someone I loved very much.

Mwaka 2009,nilifiwa na mtu ambaye nilimpenda sana,

Her name was Joan, and she was a mother to me.

Jina lake ni Joan,na alikuwa ni mama yangu

And her death was sudden and unexpected.

Kifo chake kilikuwa cha ghafla bila kutarajiwa

And I thought about death a lot.

Niliwaza sana kuhusu kifo

And ... this made me feel deep gratitude for the time I've had.

na

hii ilinifanya nijae moyo wa shukrani kwa muda nilio nao

And ... brought clarity to the things that are meaningful to my life now.

na

ilinisaidia kuangalia vizuri vitu vyenye maana

katika maisha yangu kwa sasa.

But I struggle to maintain this perspective in my daily life.

Lakini napata shida kudumu katika hali hii katika maisha yangu ya kila siku.

I feel like it's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day,

Nahisi ni rahisi kusongwa na matukio ya kila siku,

and forget what really matters to you.

na kusahau mambo ya maana hasa kwako.

So with help from old and new friends,

Kwa hiyo kwa msaada wa marafiki wa zamani na wapya,

I turned the side of this abandoned house into a giant chalkboard,

Niligeuza upande wa nyumba hii iliyotelekezwa

na kuwa ubao mkubwa sanana kuuwekea karatasi nyembamba

and stenciled it with a fill-in-the-blank sentence:

na sentensi ambayo ilitakiwa ijazwe ikisema

"Before I die, I want to ..."

"Kabla sijafa,nataka

So anyone walking by can pick up a piece of chalk,

Kwa hiyo kila aliyepita aangeweza kuchukua chaki,

reflect on their life,

kutafakari maisha yake,na kutoa mawazo yake

and share their personal aspirations in public space.

katika eneo la wazi

I didn't know what to expect from this experiment,

sikujua niwaze nini kuhusu jaribio hili

but by the next day, the wall was entirely filled out,

lakini mpaka siku iliyofuata, ukuta wote ulijaa

na uliendelea kukua.

and it kept growing.

na ningependa nitawashirikisha vitu vichache

And I'd like to share a few things that people wrote on this wall.

ambavyo watu waliandika katika ubao huu.

"Before I die, I want to be tried for piracy."

"Kabla ya kufa,ningependa nishitakiwe kwa uharamia."(Vicheko)

(Laughter)

."Kabla ya kufa,nataka kusafiri kuufuata mstari wa kimataifa wa tarehe"

"Before I die, I want to straddle the International Dateline."

"Before I die, I want to sing for millions."

"Kabla ya kufa,nataka niimbe kwa ajili ya mamilioni."

"Kabla ya kufa,nataka nipande mti."

"Before I die, I want to plant a tree."

"Before I die, I want to live off the grid."

"Kabla ya kufa,nataka niishe bila kutegemea umeme."

"Before I die, I want to hold her one more time."

"Kabla ya kufa,nataka nimkumbatie tena kwa mara nyingine."

"Kabla ya kufa,nataka niwe askari wa farasi."

"Before I die, I want to be someone's cavalry."

"Before I die, I want to be completely myself."

"Kabla ya kufa,nataka kuwa peke yangu."

Kwa hiyo sehemu hii iliyotelekezwa ikageuka kuwa sehememu ya matengenezo,

So this neglected space became a constructive one,

and people's hopes and dreams made me laugh out loud, tear up,

matumaini na maono ya watu

ilinifanya nicheke, nilie

na kwa njia hii walinifariji katika wakati wangu mgumu.

and they consoled me during my own tough times.

It's about knowing you're not alone;

Ni kwa ajili ya kujua kuwa hauko peke yako.

it's about understanding our neighbors in new and enlightening ways;

Ni kwa ajili ya majirani zetu

kwa njia mpya na za kupendeza

it's about making space for reflection and contemplation,

ni kwa aajili ya kuwa na nafasi ya kutafakari na kuwaza yale unayoyapenda kuwa nayo

and remembering what really matters most to us as we grow and change.

na kukumbuka ni nini hasa ambacho ni cha muhimu kwa wengi wetu

kadiri tunavyokua na kubadilika

nilifanya hivi mwaka jana, na nikaanza kupokea

I made this last year,

and started receiving hundreds of messages from passionate people

mamia ya jumbe kutoka kwa watu

who wanted to make a wall with their community.

ambao walitaka kutengeneza mbao na kuta kama hii katika jamii zao,

So, my civic center colleagues and I made a tool kit,

kwa hiyo washirika wangu na mimi tukatengeneza boksi la vifaa vinavyohitajika kwa ajili ya kazi hii

and now walls have been made in countries around the world,

na kwa sasa kuta kama hii zimetengenezwa sehemu mbalimbali duniani,

including Kazakhstan,

Ikiwemo Kazakhstan, Afrika ya Kusini,

South Africa,

Australia,

Australia,

Argentina, and beyond.

Argentina na zaidi ya hapo

Together, we've shown how powerful our public spaces can be

Pamoja,tumeonyesha jinsi sehemu za wazi zinavyoweza

if we're given the opportunity to have a voice,

kuwa na uwezo mkubwa kama tutapewa nafasi ya kuongea

and share more with one another.

na kushirikishana.

Two of the most valuable things we have

Vitu vya thamani zaidi tulivyo navyo ni muda

are time, and our relationships with other people.

na mahusiano yetu na watu wengine

In our age of increasing distractions,

Katika wakati huu ambao kuna mambo mengi ya kututoa katika mambo muhimu,

Ni muhimu sana kutafuta njia za

it's more important than ever to find ways to maintain perspective,

kudumu katika mambo muhimu na kukumbuka kuwa maisha ni mafupi na mepesi

and remember that life is brief and tender.

Death is something that we're often discouraged to talk about,

Mara nyingi tunavunjwa moyo kuongelea kuhusu kifo

au kuwaza kuhusu kifo,lakini

or even think about,

but I've realized that preparing for death

nimetambua kuwa kujiandaa na kifo

is one of the most empowering things you can do.

ni moja kati ya vitu vya kukujenga sana

Thinking about death clarifies your life.

kufikiri kuhusu kifo , kunayafafanua maisha yako.

Our shared spaces can better reflect what matters to us,

Maeneo ya wazi na jamii yote yanaweza yakaonyesha ni kitu gani muhimu kwetu

as individuals and as a community,

kwa mtu mmoja mmoja na kama jamii,

na tukiwa na njia nyingi za kushirikishana matumaini, hofu na hadithi zetu,

and with more ways to share our hopes, fears and stories,

watu wanaotuzunguka sio tu wanaweza kutusaidia

the people around us can not only help us make better places,

kufanya maeneo haya kuwa mazuri, lakini wakaishi vizuri pia.

they can help us lead better lives.

Thank you.

Asante.(Makofi)

(Applause)

(Makofi)

Thank you.

Asante.(Makofi)

(Applause)

(Makofi)