Nkombo na ngai ezali Agostino mpe nazali na mbula 51. Mosala na ngai ezali ya kokendaka kotika bilei na velo. Nazali na bana mibale ya basi, kasi tosololaka na pasi. Mama na bango na ngai tozalaka lisusu elongo te mpo toboma libala.
My name is Agostino and I am 51 years old. My job is delivering food by bicycle. I have two daughters, but we hardly ever speak. Their mother and I no longer live together because we are divorced.
Nafandaka na mama na ngai, mpo ete nakoki kofutela lisusu ndako te nsima ya koboma libala. Kofutela ndako ezali ntalo mingi na engumba oyo.
I live with my mother, as I cannot afford to pay rent after the divorce. Rent is very expensive in this city.
Eleki mwa basanza, nazalaki kosala mosala ya kokengela ndako na kompanyi moko. Nazalaki kobongisa biloko oyo ebukana, komema bakarto, mpe kosalisa moto nyonso oyo azalaki na mposa ya lisalisi. Mokolo moko, balongolaki ngai na mosala. Nayebaki te mpo na nini.
A few months ago I was working as a janitor for a company. I repaired things that were broken, carried boxes, and helped when anyone needed it. One day the company fired me. I did not understand why.
Namonaki bato ebelé kokendaka kotika bileyi na velo. Nakoki kotambola na velo, yango wana nabetaki na ekuke ya kompanyi moko ya monene oyo etindaka biloko. Bapesaki ngai ba euro misato mpo na kotika biloko moko moko. Nasalaka 40€ na mokolo, 60€ soki na beti libaku ya malamu mpe bakiliya bakabeli ngai mwa eloko.
I saw many people delivering food by bicycle. I can ride a bicycle, so I knocked on the door of a big delivery company. They offered me three euros for each delivery. I make 40€ per day, 60€ if I am very lucky and the customers tip me.
Mikolo ya mosala té bafutaka nga te, ata soki na beli bafutaka nga te, na mpasi ata lotomo moko te. Nakanisi ete wana ezali malamu te, kasi nazali na mposa ya mosala. Mingi kati na basali bazali bapaya oyo bawuti na mikili misusu.
I get no paid holiday, no sick pay, hardly any rights at all. I do not think that is right, but I need the job. Most of the other employees are immigrants from all over the world.
Mokolo na mokolo, bato mingi oyo batindaka bakende kotika bileyi bazokaka na makama. Kaka ntango motuka moko etutaki elenge mobali moko ya mbula 25 oyo azalaki kosala na biso mpe akufaki, bakonzi ya Leta bakomaki kotyela biso likebi. Ezali mawa mpo ete asengelaki kokufa liboso ete yango esalema.
Many delivery people are injured in accidents every day. Then, when a 25-year-old deliveryman was hit by a car and died, the authorities started noticing us. It is a shame he had to die before that happened.
Elongo misusu oyo basalaka mosala ya kokendaka kotika bilei na ba kompanyi misusu, nazwaki yekolaki oyo ezalaki kolobela makoki ya bato ya mosala. Bapesaki biso toli ya mibeko ya ofelé. Tosalaki makasi mpo bandima biso mpe tozwa makoki mingi.
Together with delivery people from other companies, I took a course on workers’ rights with a local union. They offered us legal advice free of charge. We struggled to get more recognition and rights.
Nsima ya ntango molayi mosala na biso ya makasi efutaki. Kompanyi moko ya monene oyo esalaka mosala ya kokendaka kotikela bato bileyi esengelaki kofuta amande monene mpe kopesa basali misala ya libela. Ezalaki mbala ya liboso likambo yango esalema na mokili mobimba. Emonani lokola makambo mazali kobonga.
After a long time all our hard work paid off. One big delivery company had to pay a huge fine and to give workers permanent jobs. It was the first time that had happened anywhere in the whole world. It looks like things are starting to improve.
