Edson piştî ku welat serxwebûna xwe bi dest xist, li Angola ji dayik bû. Ew xortekî pir dirêj bû. Ew ji ber mezinahiya xwe rawesta. Yên ku di şerê navxweyî de çek dan zarokan da ku wek leşker şer bikin zarokên wek wî dixwestin.
Edson was born in Angola, just after the country became independent. He was a very tall boy. Because of his height he stood out. The people who were giving weapons to children to fight as soldiers in the civil war wanted boys like him.
Edson est né en Angola, juste après que le pays soit devenu indépendant. C’était un très grand garçon. Il se démarquait à cause de sa taille. Les personnes qui donnaient des armes aux enfants pour qu’ils se battent en tant que soldats dans la guerre civile voulaient des garçons comme lui.
Diya wî ditirsiya ku ew wî bigirin, ji ber vê yekê wê biryar da ku wî bişîne Portekîzê ku bi xaltîka xwe re bijî. Ew fikirî ku ew ê li wir ewle be.
His mother was afraid they would take him, so she decided to send him to live in Portugal with an aunt. She thought he would be safe there.
Sa mère avait peur qu’ils ne le prennent, donc elle a décidé de l’envoyer vivre au Portugal avec une tante. Elle pensait qu’il y serait en sécurité.
Destpêkê zehmet bû, ji ber ku Edson bêriya hewaya germ, xwarina kevneşopî û ya herî zêde jî, hembêzkirin û ramûsandina diya xwe kir.
It was very difficult to begin with, as Edson missed the warm weather, the traditional food and, most of all, his mother’s hugs and kisses.
C’était très difficile au départ, puisque la météo chaude manquait à Edson, ainsi que la nourriture traditionnelle et, surtout, les câlins et baisers de sa mère.
Ew baş bi Portekîzî nizanibû û di şopandina dersên xwe û axaftinên hevalên xwe de demek pir dijwar derbas bû. Wî meraq kir gelo fikreke baş e ku were Portekîzê.
He did not speak Portuguese well and found it very hard to follow his classes and the conversations of his classmates. He wondered if it was a good idea to come to Portugal after all.
Il ne parlait pas bien le Portugais et trouvait difficile de suivre ses cours et les conversations de ses camarades. Il se demandait si venir au Portugal était une bonne idée après tout.
Rojekê mamosteyekî ferq kir ku ew di basketbolê de çiqasî baş e. Ew beşdarî tîmeke basketbolê bû û pir serkeftî bû. Di dibistanê de navdar bû û hevalên wî çêbûn. Ew jî bêtir ji xwe bawer bû.
One day a teacher noticed how good he was at basketball. He joined a basketball team and was very successful. He became popular at school and made friends. He also became more confident.
Un jour, un professeur a remarqué à quel point il était doué en basket. Il a rejoint une équipe de basket et a eu beaucoup de succès. Il est devenu populaire à l’école et s’est fait des amis. Il a également gagné en confiance en lui.
Niha Edsonê ku mezin bûye, zarokên penaber û yên din ên di xetereya dûrketina civakî de ne perwerde dike. Demekê, bilindbûna wî ew xiste ber xetera ku bibe leşkerekî zarok. Naha bilindbûna wê hêz dide wê ku alîkariya kesên din bike ku xwe ewle hîs bikin.
Now that he is an adult, Edson trains refugee children and others at risk of being excluded from society. Once, his height put him in danger of becoming a child soldier. Now, his height gives him strength to help others feel safe.
Maintenant qu’il est adulte, Edson entraîne des enfants réfugiés et d’autres qui risquent d’être exclus de la société. Avant, sa taille le mettait en danger de devenir un enfant soldat. Maintenant, sa taille lui donne de la force pour aider les autres à se sentir en sécurité.
