Riεnkië a cɔl Agostino ku ɣεn laŋ ruun ka 51. Luɔndië ee cäm ɣen aya tεkpiny ajala. Ɣεn laŋ nyiir kärou, lakin ok ace laaj jam. Maanden ku ɣεn ruända acë riääk.
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.
Ɣεn rɛ̈ɛ̈r wo maa, wɛ̈tden cïï ɣεn wuëu ɣööt eleu ba ke cuatpiny ɣatök ɔn cïï ruäï rïääk. Wuëu ɣööt
ë geen kënic acë kaal apεi.
I live with my mother, as I cannot afford to pay rent after the divorce. Rent is very expensive in this city.
Pɛ̈ɛ̈ï lik ɔn cë bak ɣεn ee luui ka ye raan ɣööt tiit kek manädhäm. Ɣεn ee ye kä cï rïäk guir, jat thanduuk, ku kuɔ̈ɔ̈ny tä le ɣen raan wic kuɔɔny. Na ye kööl tök go manädhäm ɣa cop luɔic. Ee kɛ̈c deetic e ye wɛ̈t ŋo.
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.
Ɣεn ecï kɔc tïŋ keye cäm yääth ɣɔ̈ɔ̈n wic ye thïn ajala. Ɣεn leu ba ajala geer, guɔ tak ba göör luɔi tän ë manädhämdït käŋ tεkpiny. Go kë ɣa gäm lon ë wuëu euros kadiäk gɛ̈ɛ̈r tök. Ɣεn wuëu ka 40€ yök akäl tök, 60€ tä cïï ɣεn guöp miεt ku tä kɔl ya yiëën käken ɣa riɔp.
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.
Ɣεn ace dɔ̈m dhaman cï kɔc luɔnypiny, wuëu tuaany aliu, ku yic akoor wälä aliu abën. Acä ee tak lɔn ee ɣen yic, lakin ɣεn e loon. Kɔc juëëc kɔ̈k cë kek luɔ̈i thïn akɔc kaat bɛ̈ɛ̈ï kɔ̈k juëëc pinynhom.
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.
Kɔc juëëc käŋ tεkpiny ayöök ɣɔ̈ɔ̈ntöök akölköl. Na ɔn la mony la ruun ka 25 guut ë rïäï bë thou, go kɔc bäny jal gɔl bïk ok ya tïŋ. Ee kërac cïï ɣen thou kakë tui kakic rot loi.
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.
Ɣεn ok kɔc kɔ̈k käŋ manädhääm tεk piny go la kueen athöör piöc yiith kɔc luɔi. Ok aacë bɛ̈n wɛ̈ɛ̈t kɔc lööŋ majaan. Ok cë bɛ̈n buɔ̈c buk yök yiith juëëc ku athɛ̈ɛ̈k
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.
Ka dhaman bääric cë bak go londan riεl puou käpiεth dhiëth. Manädhäm dïït tök käŋ tεkpiny acë bɛ̈n kuum wuëu juëëc bë ke tääu piny ku gɛ̈m kɔc luɔi loiloi athilic. Ee yen tueŋ bë kë cït kën rot loi pinynhom. Ee rot tïŋ cïët käŋ bë guɔ röt geer.
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.
