Umlando
Umlando / History
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
The making of Siyafunda began in February 2015. It involved hand-drawing animal characters to represent each letter of the Zulu alphabet. The illustrations and the scripts were implemented in June 2015 and finalised in November 2015. The book was published in November 2016 during the Puku Afri-Kids Festival in Johannesburg.
Siya wrote the contents and illustrated the visuals in tandem – a long process that required synchronisation between these activities to deliver a coherent result, creating the associations between the animals and their designated props and writing short sentences to support the visuals.
Siya illustrated the images using the “negative and positive space” method. This is to influence the viewer to create parts of the image out of imagination. This is a great visual tool to help children improve their creativity.
Ukubhalwa kweSiyafunda kwaqala ngoNhlolanja ka-2015. Kwadwetshwa izilawane ezingamashumi amathathu nantathu.
Kwasetshenziswa imidwebo eminingi, kwasala imidwebo yezilwane engamashumi amabili nanhlanu. Imidwebo yase ilinganiswa ngohlu lokulandelana kwama-alfabhethi.
Imidwebo kanye nemibhalo yafakwa encwadini ngoNhlangulana ka-2015, incwadi yahlanganiswa yaphelela ngoLwezi ka-2015.
uSiya Masuku uyena obhalile futhi wadweba konke okuqukethwe yile ncwadi, Siyafunda: isiZulu. Uhambo lube lude, ngoba bekudingeka ukuthi kube nokuhambisana nokuvumelana phakathi kwamagama kanye nemidwebo. Kwabe sekulandela imisho emifishane eyakhiwe ngazo izithombe, ekufanele ixhase zona izithombe.
Ukwenza izithombe uSiya usebenzise indlela yokudweba ehlanganisa okubonakalayo nokungabonakali – “negative and positive space”. Le yindlela yokuheha loyo obheke isithombe ukuthi asiqedelele isithombe ngokusebenzisa umcabango wakhe. Lena enye indlela yokufundisa izingane umkhuba wokusebenzisa umqondo wokwakha izinto.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
With Siyafunda, the phonetics of the Zulu language take precedence over the alphabetical order of the names of the animals. An example of this would be the word “iQaqa”. Since the emphasis is on the ‘A’ sound, iQaqa falls under A. Pictorially, the image presents iqaqa (a skunk) looking curiously at a bunch of spotted eggs. The writing reads “iqaqa liqala ukubona amaqanda anamabalabala”.
Assonance and alliteration are important themes throughout the book. These aspects come in handy when children have to distinguish between C, Q and X sounds in the Zulu alphabet. Another recurring theme is the direct (and sometimes indirect) portrayal of the nature of the animals presented. For instance, the image of a meerkat (ububhibhi) wearing goggles and scouting for predators using binoculars, clearly conveys the lifeguard nature of the animal. The writing to support this visual is “ububhibhi bu bheka ibala, bu qhaphela amabhubesi” which translates to “the meerkat searches the yard, guarding against lions”.
It’s easier for children to remember the words through the power of association. Siyafunda: isiZulu makes learning isiZulu beautiful and easy for the children.
Nqobile Nxumalo handled the task of checking the spelling and grammar of the short sentences. She also critiqued the writing from a primary school learner’s viewpoint. Her policy was to use the simplest words possible and let the child add meaning to the words with the aid of the visuals.
Siya also consulted with other primary school teachers and writers, namely Walter Daniels from The National School of Arts and Pam Paton Mills from Sacred Heart College, both located in Johannesburg. This was an attempt to test the artwork, to find out how the children would respond to the images and how that would help them understand the words better.
Siya began the linoleum cutting process in August 2015. He transferred the graphite illustrations from paper onto 25 individual A4 linoleum mats. This was another lengthy process in the production of the images which ended in November 2015. The lino illustrations where printed through a process called lino printing. The prints took a few days to dry.
Siya has developed 25 Limited Edition Siyafunda Artwork which are available for purchase on the online shop.
NgeSiyafunda, umsindo ophathelene nokuphimisa amagama esiZulu ubaluleke kakhulu ukudlula uhlu lokulandelana kwama-alfabhethi. Yingakho sisebenzisa amagama ezilwane ukugcizelela umsindo ngamunye.
Isibonelo: igama “iQaqa” ligcizelela umsindo ka ‘A’, ngakho iQaqa lihambelana nonobumba ‘A’.
Isithombe siveza iqaqa libheka amaqanda anemibala ngokulangazelela ukwazi: “iqaqa liqala ukubona amaqanda anamabalabala”.
Ifanamsindo okuyiyona ndikimba yencwadi, iphindaphindwa kaningi. Lokhu kusiza izingane ziwazi umehluko wemisindo esondelene ikakhulukazi u-‘C’, ‘Q’ no’X’.
Enye indikimba ephindwayo, ukukhombisa indalo nesimilo sazo izilwane. Masifanise ngesithombe sobubhibhi. Bugqoke izibuko ezinkulu zokuvimba umoya, buqalaze ngomabonakude. Loku kukhombisa indlela yabo yokuzivikela: “ububhibhi bubheka ibala, buqaphela amabhubesi”.
Ukuhlanganisa izilwane nezinto ezizigqokile, senza kwenze samantu. Akubi lula ukuthi izingane zisikhohlwe lesosithombe namazwi esihamba nawo. Ngakho iSiyafunda: isiZulu yenza ukufunda isiZulu kubemnandi, kubukeke, futhi kubelula ezinganeni.
UNqobile Nxumalo, umhleli wencwadi, uhlole imithetho yokubhala kolimi. Incwadi uyihlole ngamehlo wengani efunda ebangeni eliyisisekelo. Wabona kukuhle ukuthi kusetshenziswe amagama alula, asekelwe yizithombe.
USiya waqala ukuthumela imidwebo kulinolyamu – uhlobo lukamata olungenaboya – ngoNcwaba
ka-2015. Wathatha imidwebo engamashumi amabili nanhlanu esephepheni, wayikhiphela ngokufanisa komata abangamashumi amabili nanhlanu. Incwadi iqedwe ngoLwezi luka-2015.
Izithombe zoqobo ezingamashumi amabili nanhlanu ziyadayiswa.