Masikwazise Kubemi Base-East Timor
NGUMBHALI KAVUKANI! EOSTRELIYA
IEAST TIMOR, okanye iTimor-Leste, lilizwana elingasempuma kwesiqithi iTimor. NgesiMalay igama elithi “Timor” lisuka kwigama lesiPhuthukezi elithi Leste, yaye omabini la magama athetha “impuma.” Ngokuqhelekileyo, abo bathetha isiNgesi bathi eli lizwe yiEast Timor. Eli gama lifanelekile, kuba esi siqithi singasekugqibeleni empuma, kwigophe laseIndonesia.
IEast Timor iziskwekhilomitha ezingama-14 800 ubukhulu, nto leyo eyenza ibe ngaphantsi kancinane kuneGauteng, okanye ngaphantsi kwesiqingatha seLesotho. Nangona sisincinane, esi siqithi sixananaze phakathi komda weAsia neOstreliya. Kukho amahlathi achumileyo nemithi yekhala namafusi awomileyo. Izilwanyana zasendle zalapha ngumxube wezaseOstreliya nezaseAsia. Ngokomzekelo, kukho izilwanyana zaseOstreliya ezifaka amatakane azo kwisingxobo esingaphantsi yaye kukho iintaka kuquka neenkawu zaseAsia neengwenya zaselwandle. Noko ke, kuthekani ngabantu base-East Timor? Akungethandi ukubazi?
Xa Eli Lizwe Lalilithanga
Mhlawumbi oomatiloshe basePortugal bafika e-East Timor malunga nowe-1514. Ngaloo maxesha, iinduli zalapho zazigutyungelwe ngamahlathi omthombothi. Lo mthi wawubiza imali eninzi, yaye ngenxa yoko, amaPhuthukezi aqalisa ukurhweba kule ndawo. ICawa yamaKatolika nayo yaba nomdla kule ndawo yaza yathumela abavangeli ukuba beze kuguqula abantu balapha. Ngenxa yezi zizathu zibini, amaPhuthukezi aqalisa ukusenza ithanga laso esi siqithi ngowe-1556.
Sekunjalo, iEast Timor yaba lilizwe lorhwebo elingakhathalelwanga kangako. Ngowe-1656, xa amaDatshi athimba ummandla osentshona wesi siqithi, amaPhuthukezi afudukela ngasempuma. Ekugqibeleni, emva kweminyaka engama-400, esi siqithi sasilawulwa ngamany’ amazwe, amaPhuthukezi aphuma ngokupheleleyo ngowe-1975.
Ngaloo nyaka, kwaqalisa imfazwe yamakhaya. Kwiminyaka engama-24 eyalandelayo, abemi base-East Timor abanokuba ngama-200 000—ummi omnye kwabathathu—bafa kwimilo yalapho. Ngowe-1999 kwaqalisa udushe kulo lonke eli lizwe, yaye izindlu ezingama-85 ekhulwini zatshatyalaliswa kuquka nezinye izakhiwo ezininzi. Abantu abangamakhulu amawaka babalekel’ ezintabeni. Ekugqibeleni, iZizwe Ezimanyeneyo zalamla, laza eli lizwe laseluxolweni.
Ukususela ngoko, abemi base-Timor ababesebugxwayibeni baqalisa ukuphucula ubomi babo. NgoMeyi 2002, iEast Timor, okanye iDemocratic Republic of Timor-Leste, yamiselwa ngokusemthethweni yaza yaba lelona lizwe litsha.
Ilizwe Elinezithethe Ezininzi
E-East Timor iintlanga zixubene yaye kuthethwa iilwimi ngeelwimi ngenxa yabantu abarhwebe kweli lizwe kangangeenkulungwane, abemi baseAsia nabaseOstreliya bafudukele apha, kuquka nolawulo lwaseYurophu. Ngoxa isiPhuthukezi siselulwimi lwezorhwebo nolwasemthethweni, abantu balapha abangama-80 ekhulwini bathetha isiTetum, umxube onamagama amaninzi esiPhuthukezi. Ezinye izizwana kulo lonke eli lizwe zithetha ezinye iilwimi ezinokuba ngama-22.
Emaphandleni iinkosi zinefuthe kubomi babantu. Ziphatha imigidi, zabe umhlaba zibe nelizwi nakweminye imibandela yasekuhlaleni, ngoxa kunyulwa usibonda ukuze asingathe imicimbi karhulumente.
Unqulo lwalapha ngumxube wamasiko nobuKatolika. Abantu banqul’ izinyanya, bayathakatha, yaye basebenzelana nemimoya. Kuqhelekile ukubon’ ikholwa lisiya kwimatandoʹok, okanye igqirha lasekuhlaleni, liye kuvumisa, ukuze linyangwe, okanye liqiniswe.
Abantu Abathand’ Iindaba Nabanobubele
Ngokwemvelo abantu base-East Timor bonwabile, bayazithand’ iindaba kwaye banobubele. UMongameli Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão uthi: “Siyakuthand’ ukufunda, ukuthetha, nokwamkel’ iindwendwe kwanabantu esingabaziyo.”
Kusenokwenzeka ukuba iindwendwe ezimenyelwe kwisidlo sentsapho eTimor zitya nendoda yelo khaya. Umfazi nabantwana baya kulungis’ ukutya baze bona batye ngokuhlwa. Kukubonisa intlonelo ukuqal’ uphake kancinane. Undwendwe lusenokumvuyisa umpheki ngokuphinda luphake.
Inkoliso yezidlo zalapha ziba nerayisi, umbona, okanye icassava, imifuno eluhlaza neminye. Esinye isidlo esithandwayo eTimor, yisaboko, kubondwa intlanzi isardines, incindi yetamarind, neziqholo, zonke ezo zinto zisongelwe ngegqabi lesundu. Noko ke, inyama inqabile.
Kuyaxokozela Ngabantwana
IEast Timor sisizwe sabantu abaselula. Phantse isiqingatha sabantu balapha ngabantwana, yaye iintsapho ezininzi zinabantwana abali-10 okanye abali-12 abahlala ekhaya.
Xa besiya esikolweni, abantwana badla ngokubambana ngezandla—amakhwenkwe odwa namantombazana ngokufanayo—bayahleka yaye bayacula njengokuba behamba. Isikolo asiyondawo nje yokuzuza ulwazi kodwa nokubaqeqesha kwindlela yokuphila neyokuziphatha.
Umntwana waseTimor akadlali yedwa—abantwana bengingqi badlala bonke kube mnandi! Owona mdlalo uthandwayo yidudu karreta, okanye kuqhutywe imoto. Loo moto ke livili lebhayisikile. Abantwana baqengqa ivili baze babaleke emva kwalo behleka, beliqhuba ngentonga.
Noko ke, abantwana baseTimor abadlali nje kuphela. Ngokomzekelo, basenokuyalelwa ukuba basile umbona, besebenzisa intsimbi enzima. Sekunjalo, bayakuthand’ ukusebenza yaye uya kubabona bencumile ngathi abaqondi nokuba basesinye sezona zizwe zilishumi zingamahlwempu ehlabathini.
Inimba Yokuzalwa Kohlanga
Ubomi bunzima eTimor ngenxa yobuhlwempu. Abantu abangama-40 ekhulwini bafumana umvuzo ongaphantsi kwedola enye enesiqingatha (R10,50) ngosuku—imali nje yokuthenga ukutya neentwana-ntwana zasekhaya. Izakhiwo zalapha zingamabhodlo. Enye ingxelo karhulumente ithi: “Kulo lonke eli lizwe, abantu abathathu kwabane abanambane, abathathu kwabahlanu abanazindlu zangasese zifanelekileyo yaye isiqingatha sabantu balapha abanamanzi acocekileyo okusela.”
Ngenxa yezi meko, abantu bayagula. Baguliswa kukungondleki, isifo seengcongconi, isifo sephepha, nezinye izifo ezenza abantu baphile umlinganiselo weminyaka engama-50 ubudala. Phantse umntwana omnye kwabalishumi uyafa ngaphambi kokuba abe neminyaka emihlanu ubudala. Ngowama-2004, abemi balapha abanokuba ngama-800 000 babenoogqirha abangaphantsi kwama-50.
Sithethanje, amazwe amaninzi asebenzisana neZizwe Ezimanyeneyo ukuze ancede abemi baseTimor bakhe ilizwe labo. Phofu ke, kukho ithemba lokuba izinto azisayi kuba mbi kangako ngenxa yeoli negesi eninzi efumaneka kuLwandle iTimor. Noko ke, abantu base-East Timor, bayakwazi ukuzivumelanisa neemeko yaye bathobekile. Elinye ibhinqa lalapha lathi kuVukani!: “Sisenokuba singamahlwempu, kodwa loo nto ayisikhathazi!”
“Iindaba Ezilungileyo Zento Elunge Ngakumbi”
Kwiminyaka yakutshanje amaNgqina kaYehova ebeshumayela “iindaba ezilungileyo zento elunge ngakumbi” kubemi base-East Timor. (Isaya 52:7; Roma 10:14, 15) Ngowama-2005, elinye ibandla lamaNgqina kwelo lizwe lichithe phantse iiyure ezingama-30 000 lixelela abanye ngezithembiso ezimangalisayo eziseBhayibhileni zeparadesi ezayo esemhlabeni.—INdumiso 37:10, 11; 2 Petros 3:13.
Ukufunda iinyaniso zeBhayibhile kuye kwabakhulula abanye babantu balapha kwingcinezelo yokusebenzelana nemimoya. Ngokomzekelo, uJacob, indoda enomzi nabantwana abahlanu, wayezihlonela gqitha izinyanya. Wayesoloko exhela esenza amasiko. Oku kwakuluxanduva kwintsapho yakhe. Ukuxhela inkuku kwakuthetha umvuzo phantse wosuku, ngoxa ibhokhwe okanye ihagu yayingumvuzo weeveki eziliqela.
Ethubeni, umfazi kaJacob, uFransiska waqhutyelwa isifundo seBhayibhile ngamaNgqina kaYehova. Wandula wabonisa uJacob iindinyana zeZibhalo ezibonisa ukuba abantu abafileyo abazi nto yaye abanakuze benzakalise abantu abaphilayo. (INtshumayeli 9:5, 10; Hezekile 18:4) Bevumelana noko kuthethwe yiBhayibhile, bobabini bayeka ukwenza amasiko. Izalamane zabo zabahlamba bobabini zaza zabaxelela ukuba kungekudala baza kubulawa zizinyanya. Noko ke, uJacob noFransiska babambelela kwisigqibo sabo, besithi: “UYehova uza kusikhusela.”
Ngeli xesha, naye uJacob waqhutyelwa isifundo seBhayibhile waza waya kwiintlanganiso zamaKristu nentsapho yakhe. Oku kwamenza waguqula indlela yakhe yokuphila. Nangona wayeyingedle yecuba, wayeka ukutshaya. Wafunda ukulesa nokubhala. Ngeli thuba naye uFransiska wayeka ukuhlafuna ibetel nut. Ekugqibeleni, ngowama-2005, uJacob noFransiska babhaptizwa bangamaNgqina kaYehova. Namhlanje, bayisebenzisa ngobulumko imali yabo ekufundiseni abantwana babo nokuhlawula iindleko zonyango.
Ngokwenene, njengokuba uYesu watsho, iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bukaThixo zishunyayelwa “nakwezona nxalenye zikude zomhlaba,” nakubantu abathand’ iindaba, abanobubele nabanobuntu belizwana lase-East Timor.—IZenzo 1:8; Mateyu 24:14.
[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]
“Ukuza Nerhali Nebhobhile”
Abantu baseTimor bathi ‘kuze irhali nebhobhile’ xa kuzelwe umntwana oyintombazana. Le ntetho ichaza isiko lamabhinqa alapha lokoluka itais, amalaphu ahonjisiweyo. Itais zisetyenziswa xa kuthungwa iimpahla zomgidi ezinemihombiso emininzi, iingubo, nelifa lentsapho. Abafazi abakhulileyo bafundisa abafazana ukulima, ukuvuna, ukusonta, ukudaya nokuluka umqhaphu ukuze ube lilaphu eliyimibalabala. Itais enye isenokuthabatha unyaka nangaphezulu ukuyigqiba, kuxhomekeka kwindlela entsokothe ngayo. Ekubeni isenziwa ngendlela eyahlukileyo kwingingqi nganye, umntu ozaziyo iitais usenokukuxelela indawo eyenziwe kuyo ngokuyijonga nje.
[Imaphu ekwiphepha 14]
(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
INDONESIA
EAST TIMOR
AUSTRALIA
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]
Indlu yalapha enguronta
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16]
“I-dudu karreta”—owona mdlalo uthandwa ngabantwana
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16, 17]
UJacob nentsapho yakhe