Kiswahili ABC Enters Editing Phase
Langham Literature continues to be thankful for the success of the Africa Bible Commentary and its incredible impact on the support for pastors in Africa. Several translations are expected; currently underway is the Kiswahili translation, a language spoken in more than 10 countries with as many as 10 million speakers. Langham Literature’s partner on the project, WordAlive Publishers, offers this report on the progress of this important translation.
Exactly one year since WordAlive Publishers (WAP) commenced the translation of the Africa Bible Commentary into Kiswahili, and with about 75 percent of the translation already completed, the project has now entered the crucial editing phase in earnest. The Kiswahili ABC will hit the market in October 2009.
As part of the project, WAP organised a consultative meeting of translators and editors in Dodoma, Tanzania from 3 to 6 September 2008. The key agenda for the meeting was to review the work and to discuss issues that emerged during translation. During this meeting, the participants pledged to rededicate their efforts to ensure that the timelines are observed and that the project is completed according to schedule.
The meeting was also a forum to train in and hone editorial skills in readiness for the editing phase. Indeed, editing had been going on albeit at a slower pace due to shortage of personnel; almost 15 percent of the editing work had been done by August 2008. With the successful editorial seminar, six editors will now be joining the only four that are currently undertaking the exercise. We hope that this will speed up the process and complete the editorial phase by April 2009. While in Dodoma, we had the opportunity to meet some key church leaders at a dinner event. Among those who attended were officials from the Bible Society of Tanzania, Christian Council of Tanzania and Anglican and Catholic dioceses as well as lecturers from the theological colleges around Dodoma. This conference was part of our build-up to the 2009 release and subsequent distribution of the Kiswahili edition of the Africa Bible Commentary.
Meanwhile, we expect the remaining portion of the translation exercise, involving fifteen (15) books, to be completed by the end of November. Once completed, some of the translators will be recruited to join the editing team.
We continue to thank God for enabling the translation exercise to get this far. As we turn our focus to editing, we pray for additional strength so as to issue an excellent product that will significantly transform Africa and the world.
In August, one of the members of the translation team, Geoffrey Majule, was awarded a doctoral scholarship at Asbury Theological Seminary, USA. We congratulate him warmly and wish him well in his studies. At the same time, in September, Dr Catherine Ndungo of Kenyatta University joined the editing team. We warmly welcome her to participate in this ‘monumental’ leaders project.
We are greatly encouraged by the impressive progress that this project has attained so far. We are confident that we shall observe the timelines, which were re-examined during the meeting in Dodoma. The enthusiasm expressed by both the translation and the editorial teams will no doubt see us across the finishing line, expectedly well ahead of schedule.
Pray for:
1. The translators: for strength and clarity of mind as they work to complete the remaining portion.
2. The editors: for wisdom and insight as they continue putting the work together.
3. Members of the team, George Ndulesi and Sheila Ryanga, who were bereaved during the editorial seminar; for strength to bear the loss.
Editors Note: WordAlive Publishers acknowledges the successful consecration and enthronement of Canon Father John Simalenga as the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of South West Tanganyika on 6th July 2008 at Njombe. He continues to play an effective role in the translation of the Kiswahili ABC.
Permission to reproduce this article granted from WordAlive Publishers (www.wordalivepublishers.org).