January 4 to 7 travel from USA via Johannesburg and Maun to Nata
Workshop venue: Christ Community Church of South Africa, Nata
Attendees:
Shua translators: Dikakanyo Dilo (Diyasha), Peiso Simon (Naro) and Badumedi Baitsapi (Dups or Custer).
Ncirecire tranlsators: Godumetsemang Kebobile (Tshuba) and Kemoibhoketse (Congo or Bame). Master Seloko was not at the workshop (nor in September 2017).
Executive Committee: Bohedile Twaelang (Chief Kgosi from Dukwi village, chairman attending both weeks), Gosetwamang Moalosi (Gigi, vice chair, didn’t attend), Chief Santos Lesogo Kgaswaletsogo (treasurer, didn’t attend), Keene Itekeng (Tsaa, secretary attends only first day), Oaitse Andries (vice secretary, attends 2 days)
Steering Committee: Olefile Thuto(attends most days), Bampihetse Ngaka (Doctor, attends both weeks, participates and desires to be a Ncirecire translator), Kesebelemang (Thanke, attends one day), Tshabisa Mmarki (Chief from Lepashe, attends one day and facilitates village visit), Shorty (Sometime, attends both weeks and participates in Shua team)
Others: Ditshego Obert (from Lepashe, attends one day and is our host for village visit), Tsokatshaa Pro (Peiso’s younger brother, attends one day)
Spoken Staff: Durk Meijer and John Stark
Botshelo Trust Staff: Moronga Tanago (present only January 8 to10).
Toraa Dao Association Staff: Blesswell Kure (project coordinator), Dikgamets Itibiseng (IT, Shua logistics assistant), Golebamang Tsensuare (‘Don’t touch me’, Ncirecire logistics assistant), Ngaka Obi (Ncirecire, but general logistics assistant).
Chief Santos Lesogo Kgaswaletsogo (Chief of the Central District) is the Shua, is the Treasurer of the Shua committee.
Monday, January 8
We had agreed to start our workshop at eight, but it was not until after ten before everyone had arrived. After a time of having introductions we realized that the people needed time to get organized. This took the rest of the day, but it resulted in the people having a clear understanding about the need to prepare well, as well as that they had a better idea about the translation process and the focus of the workshop.
Tuesday, January 9
We give some pointers on how to review and further check the passages they’ve been working on in the last workshop The Ncirecire start with John on Luke 15:11-32, while the Shua start with Durk on Luke 10:25-37. Both teams process through a new draft recording.
Wednesday, January 10
We rehearse the process of doing a good community check. The teams share the passages for community checking in the community. The Ncirecire have trouble finding a Ncirecire audience in Nata and their success in checking is marginal. The Shua share with two groups and their results are a little better. In the afternoon they make corrections to the passages and further practice telling it, ending the day after having recorded another draft.
Thursday, January 11
Between teams we share what was learned and as facilitators John and Durk keep adding principles as issues come to the surface. Next the teams switch passages and start the same process with less coaching. By the end of the day they have gone through several drafts and the plan is to test them on Saturday in Lepashe, a community about 100 kilometers from Nata.
Friday, January 12
We introduce a new passage (Genesis 4:1-16) which they process on their own from the Setswana Bible. The first step is to start with a rough oral rendering. From there they start dealing with anything they don’t understand. John and Durk are available as resources and difficult concepts are processed, so that they can be expressed clearly and naturally in their own language. Next they practice telling the passage to each other. Then they make an audio draft and check it for completeness and errors. Then after further practice of telling the passage out loud, they end the day with recording another audio draft.
Saturday, January 13
Before eight in the morning we leave for Lepashe, about 100 kilometers south of Nata. Their Chief is expecting us to share both a Shua and Ncirecire story in their town center. When we arrive about 10 AM, we learn that the chief has left for a funeral and that there is a big soccer game going on. We end up with about a dozen Ncirecire, who become part of an excellent community check. Both Luke 15:11-32 and Luke 10:25-27 are shared by Tsuba and both are retold by Lepashe community members. Their main comments were about some language differences, like the word for ‘pig’ meant tree stump in their area. Sometimes words are also pronounced slightly different, but it was great to see how well the passage did communicate. We introduce them to the idea that this will need to happen on a regular basis. The Shua didn’t get to share their story, but they learned from being part of the process. After a flat tire on the way home, we arrived back in Nata around four in the afternoon.
Monday, January 15
We debrief the community check that we did in Lepashe. Then we divide again in our language teams and start the process of back translating Genesis 4:1-16, which helps to reveal how well the story was recorded on Friday. It brings out many issues, like missing details, faulty understandings, challenges with key term and phraseology. The improvements of the next drafts are significant. The process also allows us to accentuate principles we addressed before, including checking if all the people, places, events and emotions expressed in the passage are properly present.
Tuesday, January 16
We continue refining Genesis 4:1-16, by helping the translators to internalize the passage by verbally sharing it with each other and by recording another draft by the end of the day.
Wednesday, January 17
Both language teams do community checking. The Ncirecire in Manxotae (Tsuba’s home town) and the Shua in Nata. In Manxotae the team encounters some protocol issues that help them realize to plan ahead and properly get permission from the village chief. Otherwise the community checks provide good feedback. In the afternoon we debrief from the community checks and close the day with demoing Render.
Thursday, January 18
Durk trains each team with hands-on experience on Render, while the other team watches. In the afternoon both teams start working on their own recording their next drafts on Render and sending it on to peer review. The Shua team struggles to get the draft recorded well, since they are using a translator that is still struggling with being able to tell the story well. They painstakingly finish only Luke 15:11-32. The Ncirecire team does well on Luke 15:11-32, but they wrestle more with Luke 10:25-37 after discovering that somehow one piece ends up being left out of the passage (the teacher of the law asking who his neighbor is). They persist and work until after 6 PM also finishing Genesis 4:1-16.
Friday, January 19
We leave early for a Shua community check to Puduhudu village, about 180 kilometers (110 miles) from Nata towards Maun. Chief Johane Ngwengare of Puduhudu village is very excited that they are included in the process and Custer shares Genesis 4:1-16 with a group of 9 people. The Chief is the first one to retell the passage. Others are more shy, especially the younger people present. This sparks the conversation of the need for Shua materials, the need for opportunities for the younger people to use their own language, as well as two sermons encouraging the younger people about the value of their ethnic identity. There were more people ready to for our arrival at 7:30 in the morning, but they all eventually left and when we arrived at 10 AM, the chief had to gather a few people together. Blesswell and Durk talked about the idea to arrive the evening before, so community testing can be early in the morning. To build relationship it would be good to maybe also spend even two days with the people to encourage them and involve them more. Blesswell will follow through on this. About midday we drive onwards to Maun.
Idea to help practice stories:
Make a group on Whatsapp and invite the translation team members and other interested committee members to become part and share with each other every day which story they shared and as relevant any learning experiences. Durk will be part too and will join doing the same as the local team. Future potential is for community checkers in other villages to become part, or even anybody in their language community. Durk, Blesswell and Andries have started, while Hessel Visser (the translation consultant) has also join this group.
