[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-92586-en":3,"doc-seo-92586-105":28,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":89},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":4,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":11,"is_downloadable":11,"audit_status":11,"page_count":20,"language":21,"language_code":22,"site_id":23,"html_lang":22,"table_of_contents":24,"faqs":25,"seo_title":13,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":26,"read_time":27},92586,7971461740886,"Theodore","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_3d24733baf745e90a7e4bdd5f77d97b2",1,"Story & Novel","Together We're Strong - English Story Book","Together We’re Strong follows Ma Monikazi and her children through hardship, childbirth, and daily perseverance in a harsh winter. Singing to her baby, feeding the family, and raising siblings show resilience as a shared practice. Ntsikelelo grows into a strong, loved daughter, learning from family, guiding her own care responsibilities, and finding joy in names and new beginnings. The story highlights courage, community support, and identity through warm, rhythmic storytelling.","Together We're Strong  \nEnglish Story Book  \nTogether We're Strong  \nWriter: Liesl Jobson  \nIllustration: Alice Toich  \nEnglish  \nCopyright © 2014, Liesl Jobson, Alice Toich, Nazli Jacobs, and [bookdash.org](bookdash.org) ,  \n[http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)  \nYou are free to make commercial use of this work. You may adapt and add to this work. You must keep the copyright and credits for authors, illustrators, etc.  \nTogether We're Strong Writer: Liesl Jobson  \nIllustration: Alice Toich  \nOne harsh winter, many people in the land were sick. Ma Monikazi’s cheeks burned. Sweat dripped from her body. She wanted to hold the icy grass to her face to cool down.  \nUnder her blanket she held her belly and sang to the baby inside her: “Be strong, little one. Winter’s not long. Be brave, little one. Together we’re strong!” Her stomach growled when the baby’s powerful kicks woke her at night. She ate the leftover meat in the cooking pot, hungry for life.  \nOne bright night the moon was bigger, fatter and pinker than ever. Her breath came fast. The baby was ready. The aunties in the birthing room rubbed her back and warmed the water. When Monikazi held her beautiful daughter in her arms, she knew she was a special girl, a fighter. What a blessing! Her name is Nontsikelelo. She will be the mother of all blessings.  \nNontsikelelo was beautiful and strong with crinkling black button eyes. She loved her older brother, Mcengi. He made her laugh and so the laughter spread. She loved to eat meat before she had teeth. Her favourite aunt always kept a little portion on the side of her plate for Ntsiki. Mcengi chased the chickens that scratched in the garden where Ma Monikazi grew spinach and squash to feed her family. Ntsiki ran after him as her legs grew strong.  \nMa Monikazi had another baby boy, Velaphi, and another, Qudalele. Finally another sister, Nomyaleko. Little Ntsiki folded napkins and washed the baby clothes. She swept the house and fed the fire. She picked up her baby brother when he cried and tickled him till he laughed. She taught them to sing: “Be strong, little one. Winter is gone. Be brave, little one. Together we’re strong!”  \nQingqiwe, her grandfather, raised horses. His favourite was Shishi, a glossy black mare. As soon as Ntsiki was old enough, he hoisted her on to the saddle in front of him. His strong arms reached around her. He laced the reins through her fingers. He taught her to talk softly to Shishi, to groom her with a hard bristled brush. When she stroked its glossy coat, Albertina whispered,“You are the most beautiful creature. Thank you for letting me ride on your back.”  \nHer father, Bonilizwe, came home from the mines at Christmas. Ntsiki pulled herself up onto Shishi’s broad back. She rode out to meet him at the bus stop. Ntsiki sat tall and straight. Her knees held firm. She handled the reins with gentle fingers. How proud Bonilizwe was of his daughter. The biggest smile Ntsiki had ever seen covered her father’s face.  \nOn her sixth birthday she went to school.“You must choose an English name,” said the Presbyterian teacher, but Ntsiki liked her own name.“Why do I need a new name?” she asked. The teacher scowled and read the names aloud: “Adah, Agnes, Albertina, Anna.” What did they mean? Ntsiki liked the long name best. Al-ber-ti-na! The name had rhythm. Alberti-na! The name had bounce. Albertina was a name you didn’t mess with.","cbCaiiTGZAROac3j","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiiTGZAROac3j","pdf",7591210,28,"English","en",105,"# Together We’re Strong\n## Winter sickness and birth\n## Growing up with family and song\n## Horses, school, and a new English name","[{\"question\":\"What helped Ma Monikazi endure the harsh winter and sickness?\",\"answer\":\"Ma Monikazi stayed hopeful and cared for her baby while feeling the winter’s strain. She sang “Together we’re strong” and ate what she could to keep going.\"},{\"question\":\"How did Ntsikelelo show strength as she grew?\",\"answer\":\"Ntsikelelo cared for her younger siblings, helped around the house, and ran after her brother as she became stronger. She also learned to connect gently and confidently with Shishi, the mare.\"},{\"question\":\"Why did Ntsikelelo need an English name at school, and how did she respond?\",\"answer\":\"The teacher told Ntsikelelo to choose an English name, but she preferred her own. She asked why she needed a new name and liked the rhythm of “Albertina” when the teacher read options aloud.\"}]",1784318930,43,{"code":4,"msg":29,"data":30},"ok",{"site_id":23,"language":22,"slug":31,"title":13,"keywords":32,"description":14,"schema_data":33,"social_meta":84,"head_meta":86,"extra_data":88,"updated_unix":26},"together-were-strong-english-story-book","",{"@graph":34,"@context":83},[35,52,66],{"@type":36,"itemListElement":37},"BreadcrumbList",[38,42,46,49],{"item":39,"name":40,"@type":41,"position":11},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":43,"name":44,"@type":41,"position":45},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":47,"name":12,"@type":41,"position":48},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/story-novel/",3,{"item":50,"name":13,"@type":41,"position":51},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/together-were-strong-english-story-book/92586/",4,{"url":50,"name":13,"@type":53,"author":54,"headline":13,"publisher":56,"fileFormat":59,"inLanguage":22,"description":14,"dateModified":60,"datePublished":60,"encodingFormat":59,"isAccessibleForFree":61,"interactionStatistic":62},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":55},"Person",{"url":39,"name":57,"@type":58},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-07-17",true,{"@type":63,"interactionType":64,"userInteractionCount":4},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":65},"ViewAction",{"@type":67,"mainEntity":68},"FAQPage",[69,75,79],{"name":70,"@type":71,"acceptedAnswer":72},"What helped Ma Monikazi endure the harsh winter and sickness?","Question",{"text":73,"@type":74},"Ma Monikazi stayed hopeful and cared for her baby while feeling the winter’s strain. She sang “Together we’re strong” and ate what she could to keep going.","Answer",{"name":76,"@type":71,"acceptedAnswer":77},"How did Ntsikelelo show strength as she grew?",{"text":78,"@type":74},"Ntsikelelo cared for her younger siblings, helped around the house, and ran after her brother as she became stronger. She also learned to connect gently and confidently with Shishi, the mare.",{"name":80,"@type":71,"acceptedAnswer":81},"Why did Ntsikelelo need an English name at school, and how did she respond?",{"text":82,"@type":74},"The teacher told Ntsikelelo to choose an English name, but she preferred her own. 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