Overview
- Lesson Title: A Meeting of the Pan-African Parliament-This is a report on a Pan-African Parliament meeting.
- Language: Hausa
- Topic: Economics/Politics
- ILR Level: 1+/2
- ACTFL Proficiency: Advanced-Mid, Advanced-Low, Intermediate-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: 2008
- ObjectID: HAUS_12629
Transcript
| Original | Translation |
|---|---|
|
Ana kasancewa da babbar matsala wajen samar da hatsi yadda ya kamata
Wani jami'in kwamitin kula da harkokin tattalin arziki, da sha'anin noma, da yanayin kasa, da kuma muhalli na kauyuka na majalisar dokoki ta Pan-Afrika, ya yi jawabi a gun taron, inda ya yi gargadi cewa, a shekaru biyar da suka wuce, mutanen da suka gamu da matsalar karancin hatsi daga yankin Afrika sun wuce miliyan 30, yankunan tsakiya da na gabashin Afrika sun fi fama da matsalar, yawan mutanen da ke shan wahalar ya kai kusan miliyan 14. Manazarta sun nuna cewa, bala'u daga indallahi, ciki har da ambaliyar ruwa da fari, sun kawo mummunar matsala ga sha'anin noma, da na kiwon daddobi a yankin Afrika da ke kudancin hamadan Sahara, bayan haka kuma, karuwar farashin hatsi ta duniya da aka kara samu a kwana a tashi ta kara tsanancewar halin da Afrika ke ciki wajen samar da hatsi. Kara samun bala'u daga indallahi, wannan ce tsohuwar matsalar da sha'anin noma na Afrika ke fuskanta, amma wasu sabbin dalilai a jere da suka bullo tun 'yan shekarun da suka wuce, su ma suna kawo barazana ga yankin Afrika wajen samar da hatsi yadda ya kamata. A 'yan shekarun da suka wuce, wasu kasashen Afrika sun nemi bunkasa masana'antu da ciniki a gefen daya, a sakamakon haka, ba su bayar da isasshen kudi da nuna goyon baya sosai ga sha'anin noma ba, abin ya haddasa kara raguwar yawan hatsi da aka fitar. Bayan haka kuma, rikicin makamai da aka samu a wasu yankunan da ke Afrika sun ma sun kawo tasiri mai tsanani ga aikin kawo albarkar noma. Ba kawai rikicin ya hana cigaban sha'anin noma ba, har ma ya haifar da 'yan gudun hijira da yawa, a sanadiyar haka, aka kara tsanancewar matsalar hatsi. Yanzu, hukumomin da abin ya shafa na M.D.D., da bankin duniya, da kuma bankin raya kasa na Afrika, da dai sauransu suna daukar matakai don magance mawuyancin halin da Afrika ke fuskanta wajen samar da hatsi yadda ya kamata. A farkon watan Afril na shekarar da muke ciki, bankin duniya ya taba sanar da cewa, a kasafin kudi na shekarar 2009, zai kara bayar da taimakon rancen kudi ga sha'anin noma na Afrika daga dalar Amurka miliyan 400 zuwa 800. A waje daya kuma, bayan da bankin raya kasa na Afrika ya shirya taron majalisu a farkon watan Mayu a kasar Tunisiya, ya bayar da sanarwa cewa, bankin zai kara bayar da taimakon rancen kudi da yawansu ya kai biliyan 1, don taimakawa kasashen Afrika wajen magance matsalar karuwar farashin hatsi. Tare da taimakon rancen kudi na dalar Amurka biliyan 3.8 da ya bayar a da, jimlar rancen kudi da bankin raya kasa na Afrika ya bayar, don bayar da taimako ga sha'anin noma na Afrika ta karu zuwa dalar Amurka biliyan 4.8. |
Corn shortage poses a major problem From the 5th to the 16th of this month in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, an unprecedented 9-session conference of the Pan-African Parliament, under the auspices of the African Union (AU) has been taking place, where food security tops the agenda of the conference. The conference feels that currently, a major food crisis is being compounded by the increasing global rise in food prices. An official of the committee on economics, agriculture, natural resources and the rural environment of the Pan-African Parliament addressed the conference, where he warned that, in the past five years, the number of Africans affected by famine had surpassed 30 million, observing that the central and eastern regions of Africa suffered the most, with the number of people affected reaching nearly 14 million. Researchers have shown that natural disasters, including flooding and drought, have caused severe harm to agriculture and animal husbandry in sub-Saharan Africa, while the increasing global price of food has heightened Africa's dire situation with regard to food security. The frequency of natural disasters is an old problem facing African agriculture, but a series of new factors that have appeared in the past few years have threatened Africa with regard to food security. In recent years, some African countries have sought a one-sided development of industry and trade, with the result that they have not given enough funding or shown adequate support for agriculture, which has caused further declines in food yields. Moreover, armed conflicts in various parts of Africa have also had a serious impact on agricultural production. Conflict has not only prevented agricultural advancement, it has also produced many refugees, and as a result, the severity of food shortages has increased. At present, agencies associated with the UN and the World Bank, as well as the African Development Bank and others, are taking steps to address the difficult situation that Africa is facing with regard to food security. At the beginning of April of this year, the World Bank announced that it intends to raise its grant of credit assistance to African agriculture from 400 to 800 million US dollars. Furthermore, at the end of the African Development Bank’s ministerial conference last May in Tunisia, it announced an increase of one billion US dollars in its agricultural credit grants, to help African countries address the problem of increasing food costs. Together with a grant of 3.8 billion US dollars that it has already provided, the total loan that the African Development Bank has given to assist African agriculture has increased to 4.8 billion US dollars. |
Glossary
| Hausa term | English meaning |
|---|---|
| a gun | The phrase is used to indicate direction (at), and is mainly used in Nigeria. The words _wa_ and _ga_ are also used. |
| hatsi | "Corn" in Nigeria refers to "millet" in Niger. |
| mayar da | "To give" or "put back" is used in the text to mean "to turn into" or "to reconsider." |
| shan wahalar | "Drinking suffering' is used in conversational contexts to imply extreme suffering. In the text, which is rather formal, it refers to the people who undergo the misery inflicted by lack of food. |
| a kwana a tashi | "Sleep and wake/get up" is more commonly used to imply time and movement as "day by day," "little by little," or "gradually." |
| goyon baya | "To carry" (usually on the back) does not have a logical meaning, but refers to supporting or backing an idea. |
| na indallahi | This is a word that stems from Arabic, and is used in a religious context to refer to something caused by natural circumstances, such as drought and floods, which are usually thought to come from God. |
| ci gaba | "Eating the front" is commonly used to show progress, though it can be more concrete in a different context. |
| Majalisar dokoki ta Pan-Afrika | Pan-African Parliament (PAP) Please refer to the Learn more notes for detail. |
| Kungiyar tarayyar kasashen Afrika | African Union (AU) Please refer to the Learn more notes for detail. |
| Kwamitin kula da harkokin tattalin arzikin da sha'anin noma da yanayin kasa | The Committee on Rural Economy Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment is a specialized technical sector of the PAP. (see Learn More) |
| MDD (majalisar dinkin duniya) | UN (United Nations) Please refer to the Learn more notes for details. |
| Bankin duniya | World Bank Please refer to the Learn more notes for details. |
| Bankin raya kasa na Afrika | African Development Bank (ADB) Please refer to the Learn more notes for details. |
Notes
A Meeting of the Pan-African Parliament
1. Persisting food shortages and poverty, along with archaic agricultural practices that do not stimulate production in changing environmental conditions, are a major hindrance to sustainable development for Sub-Saharan African countries. Industrialization, desertification, deforestation, and other ecological and human factors contribute to the reduction of farmland and scarcity of food supplies, while the population increases rapidly.
2. Due to increasing concern about these challenges, various institutions, organizations, and leaders are considering implements that would be economically and environmentally beneficial. Strategies such as utilizing innovative agricultural technology in order to stimulate and enhance production, focusing on crop with higher nutritional benefits, and promoting schooling for farmers are some of the programs being adopted for the improvement of production and reduction of poverty. Some organizations are working on the Millennium project with the United Nations to reach that goal.
Please go to the following links for more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Union
http://parkview.homestead.com/SubSahara.html
http://www.nepad.org/2005/files/documents/172.pdf
http://www.ecbproject.org/publications/ECB3/Leaving_Disasters_Behind_Chapter_1_Introduction.pdf
CONTENT SOURCE: Unknown (2008, May 15). Corn shortage poses a major problem. Afrika a Yau. Beijing: China Radio International. http://hausa.cri.cn/1/2008/05/15/2@76721.htm
You selected a Learning Object that offers practice on this objective: Demonstrate your comprehension.
Content Description: This is a report on a Pan-African Parliament meeting.
XML
<activity>
<problemset>
<problem>
<stim>What was the purpose of the 9th Pan-African Parliament meeting?</stim>
<fdbk>The purpose of the meeting was to address the issue of food shortages, focusing on the different factors that cause it, since it relates to many aspects of development as a regional problem as well as a global concern.</fdbk>
<hint>Consider the agenda of this meeting and its participants. You may learn more about them in the Learn More Notes.</hint>
</problem>
<problem>
<stim>Who was a lead speaker at the meeting? What was the focus of his speech?</stim>
<fdbk>An official of the Committee on Rural Economy Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment of the Pan-African Parliament was the lead speaker. His speech focused on raising awareness on the evolution and persistence of food shortages in the region, as it affects millions of people and presents a regional threat. Over the last five years, the continent in general has been lacking enough food, with over 30 million people affected by the shortage; the central and eastern areas, with 14 million people in need, are the most affected.</fdbk>
<hint>Consider the statistics and facts on the continent's food situation as mentioned in the report.</hint>
</problem>
<problem>
<stim>What factors contribute to the increasingly severe food shortage in Sub-Saharan Africa</stim>
<fdbk>Natural disasters like floods and droughts are hindering agricultural production, while new development strategies stimulate industrialization and trade at the detriment of agriculture. Additionally, the price of food is rising across the globe, and the region must cope with armed conflicts that lead to mass dislocation and refugee problems. These factors are the main causes of food shortage in Sub-Saharan Africa.</fdbk>
<hint>Note the explanations cited through the text on the challenges that the region faces in providing food to its population.</hint>
</problem>
<problem>
<stim>What are the steps taken by institutions in response to the food shortage problem in Africa?</stim>
<fdbk>The United Nations and the African Development Bank focus on improving the agriculture sector by allocating loans and grants, an increasing number of which are being offered. They also help in coping with rising food prices. Other institutions related to food and agriculture also are taking actions in order to solve the problem.</fdbk>
<hint>Consider the announcements about aid, and the statistics given in the last part of the text.</hint>
</problem>
<problem>
<stim>What is the main message of the report?</stim>
<fdbk>Food shortage has become a major problem in Africa, and serious steps have to be taken to solve the problem.</fdbk>
<hint>Skim the text to find an answer.
Consider the meaning of the phrase "shan wahalar."</hint>
</problem>
</problemset>
<instr type="eng">Read each question and type your response in the box provided. Click CHECK at the bottom of the screen to view the model response.</instr>
<instr type="target" />
<bgnotes>
<bg>
<category>Background Information</category>
<note>1. The African Union (AU) was established on July 9th 2002 with the intent to achieve the continent's rapid political and socio-economic integration. The AU promotes and defends its common positions on issues that are of interest to the continent and people; its other objectives include the promotion of peace and democratic institutions, good governance, and human rights.
2. The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) is an institution of the African Union and its highest legislative body. It is composed of elected representatives from 53 member states.
3. The Committee on Rural Economy Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment is one of the 10 specialized technical committees of the PAP. Its function is addressing rural economy and agriculture matters.
4. African Development Bank (ADB), Bankin raya kasa na Afrika: established in 1964, the ADB is a regional multilateral development institution that contributes to development through mobilization of resources that lead to the economic and social progress of its regional member countries.
5. Sub-Saharan Africa: a term used to refer to the area or countries situated south of (with some partially within) the Sahara desert.</note>
</bg>
<bg>
<category>Grammar</category>
<note>1. _daddobi (kiwon daddobi)_ is written with double "b" instead of "d" to be _dabbobi_, meaning "animals" or "livestock."</note>
</bg>
<bg>
<category>Vocabulary</category>
<note>1. _yadda ya kamata_ (as needed, sufficiently, or right) is a common expression used five times in the text to support the details given about how and why the PAP addresses the shortage issue.</note>
</bg>
</bgnotes>
</activity>