Saving The Black Rhino Project

Hi Team Rhino - USA - Kenya,

Seeing that the Kenyan students are working real hard to improve their English and speak to NYC students in English during the pilot, it is only fair that NYC team learns some basic Swahili language.

This comes from an old website we did for the Mkomazi video project about 11 years ago!

Please correct me or add to this list Kenya if there are some words that would be useful for our project to know....   Like Rhino, or poacher, or wildlife law, or......

If you ever saw the movie Lion King - you already know some Swahili....so say it....

Hakuna Matata!!

Best to All,

George



English Translations of East African Swahili

East African Swahili Words, Terms, and their English Translations (useful in understanding terminology used in Tanzanian culture and Tanzania's Wildlife Policy and Mkomazi Game Reserve)

Askari - security guard, watchman

Banda - thatched hut with earthen or wooden walls

Boma - fenced in enclosure for rhinos or large animals, or village

Bul-bul - Black cover-all garment worn by Islamic women outside the home

Chai - tea

Chakula - food

Fundi - repair man or woman (clothing, building, cars, the trades)

Hakuna matata - no problem

Harambee - community self-help

Jinga - crazy

Jua Kali - hot sun

Kanga - printed cotton wrap-around with a pattern expressing a Swahili proverb

Kikoi - printed cotton wrap-around

Kiondas - woven baskets

Lugga - a dry riverbed

Makuti - roof made of dried palm leaves

Manyatta - Massai livestock camp usually encircled by thorn bushes

Moran - Massai or Samburu warrior

Mzunga - white person

Mbwa mwitu - The Wild Dog

Panga - machete

Pesa - money

Shamba - small farm or a small plot of land

TTC - Tanzanian tourist corporation

Uhuru - Freedom or independence