September 4 to 8 workshop at Botshelo Trust in Shakawe, Botswana:
- Ju/’hoansi background: The current team consists of three people: Dahm XiXae (Ju/’hoansi team leader, translator, understands some Afrikaans, speaks also English and Setswana), Gagotswegope Xao (Tsepo, young man with good computer technical skills, translator, speaks English and Setswana), and Boo Kgawe (translator, enthusiastic elderly pastor who speaks no English, but Afrikaans and some Setswana). They are already following an integrated Scripture Engagement/Oral Scripture Translation approach and completed several passages from a set that was discussed within the San Partnership. Some challenges for the project are: groups living in small communities starting in Eastern Namibia from Gobabis (south) to Tsumkwe area (north), as well as in North West Botswana from west of Ghansi (south) to Shakawe (north). The diversity in the language spoken is quite wide, but testing has shown good general understanding between Western Botswana, Tsumkwe and Gobabis, except when language of wider communication is used mixed with Ju/’hoansi. On the Namibia side this includes primarily Afrikaans and on the Botswana side this includes primarily Setswana and English. The Gobabis people identify themselves as being Ju/’hoansi, but they are also called Gobabis !Kung and their language is most different from the rest. There is a synergy for a the Ju/’hoansi to want to work together on SE/OBT. Dahm says that the name Ju/’hoan means the (real) person and Ju/’hoansi means the (real) people. The same word is used for their language,
- Hambukushu background: Thimbukushu is the language of the Hambukushu. According to Hambukushu workshop attendees, their people live spread out over Northeastern Namibia, Northern Botswana, Southeastern Angola, Zambia, Western Zimbabwe, and some have been even reported to live in Tanzania. Some communities in South Angola are very remote and one of the people had met recently a boy who came across the river and had never seen a car before. The Bible Society of Namibia has published a new testament in their language, but it is almost not used in Botswana. The people are overall oral preference communicators and by virtue of a diversity of churches wanting to work together, they have formed a cross boarder committee to start an oral Scripture translation project that includes at this point people from Namibia and Botswana. Most committee members can read and write. They typically have been trained using an academic approach and their denominational orientation shows western doctrinal influences. Present at the workshop were: Paulus Chapi (Botswana side, Pastor, Botswana Hambukushu program coordinator through Botshelo Trust, email: Pauluschapi1@gmail.com, phone: 267-73-623250, speaks English and Setswana), Kamwanga John (Namibia side, Pastor Village Church, chair of the committee, speaks Setswana), Steven Ndara (Namibia side, student at Bible College, secretary of committee, possible translator, speaks English), Kamwa Makanga (Namibia side, Pastor Assemblies of God, trustee of the committee, speaks English), Dikoro Ngunga (Botswana side, Mashteero Church, General Secretary, lives in Etsa13, committee member, possible translator, speaks English and Setswana), Ntemogang Mmeke (Botswana side, Pastor Village Church, possible translator, speaks English and Setswana).
- Also present: Spoken Staff: Durk Meijer (lead) and John Stark (translation issues), Botshelo Trust Staff: Moronga Tanago (Coordinator who is Khwe, speaks Khwedam, Setswana, English) and Eben Le Roux (Director, speaks Setswana, Naro, English, Afrikaans) Botshelo address: Box 572, Shakawe, Botswana, Phone: 267-739-12294, Website: botshelotrust.wix.com/botshelo, Facebook: Botshelo Trust
September 3
- Tsodilo Juh/'hoansi village community check Luke 15:11b-32. The people really engage. Due to small changes in story as told from Scripture (e.g. the father only given the younger brother half instead of dividing it, missing that the father tells the older brother that all things of his father are already his), they don't understand it properly the first time around, but when corrections are made, the understanding is much better. Two young men listening are challenged by Moronga to memorize the story and share it on 9-8 when we plan to come back as part of workshop. They accept the challenge.
September 4
- We start our time after introductions with sharing stories about ourselves. We talk about the difference of real life stories and fictional stories, as well as stories that teach and stories that are for fun, etc. and we connect it to stories from the Bible.
- We model coming along side, recognizing their skills and that they understand their own worldview and that we are learners.
- We introduce the story from Luke 10:25-37, model it and let them engage with each group in their own language and internalize it. This process includes discussion and questions that help them going through the passage by looking at the details of the passage, like the characters in the story, the places, the issues at hand, etc.
- We also model engagement questions. In this case we divide them between questions that help process their feelings through the story and as such are primarily ministry questions and translation questions that focus on the details that are part of the narrative and the understanding of the narrative.
- We also include sessions about starting to help their people with a basic overview who God is and what the Bible is about (using the concept of a sick person – 5 sticks and a stone), connecting people to new things in relation to what people already know (using a puzzle of a magazine page), and the place and importance of prayer (using a drawing of a tree and its roots), and how an integrated strategy, combining Scripture Use with oral Scripture translation, encourages good quality oral drafting and, through the community involvement, leads to empowerment.
- At the end of the day we ask the people to share the story with someone that evening and help their audience to engage.
September 5
- Most have never shared a Scripture passage through storying, so almost nobody shared the story (quite typical). We then discuss the importance of verbally communicating the narrative in order to test it for understanding, accuracy, clarity, and naturalness. We also show how this will help others to get involved and how it serves as a model from the start to help people engage.
- We process the first story a bit further and then introduce a second passage from Luke 15:11b-32. This time we let them completely process it from the beginning of listening to the passage and/or reading it in the Bibles they have to internalizing the passage, engaging with it, and verbalizing (telling) it, let others listen, internalize and engage with it, and verbalize it too.
- We intersperse sessions about the roles people play in the translation project, as well as the translation process.
September 6
- The Hambukushu group is split into 2 teams. They finalize getting ready to share a storying session for checking their passage in a community nearby. One team goes to Samochina with John and the other to Klipsop Farm with Durk.
- In the afternoon we debrief, discuss any issues that need to be corrected in their drafts. We talk about recording the drafts as reference for accuracy and/or for people in the community check to listen to instead of a real telling (looking at pros and cons).
- Durk demoes Render.
September 7
- Render training using the passages we worked on in a test setting, so they can experience the full scope of how Render can fit within the translation process they are following. Everybody uses a recording unit and practices the whole process from recording the draft of the translation, to peer checking the recording of another person, to sending it on to community check. The first story and run through step by step, the second story and run through on their own with help only as requested.
- We talk about the role of a back translator, the role of an exegete (including as and when needed), the role of the consultant, and the role of a Render Administrator
- We debrief addressing and confirming issues needing to be revisited.
September 8
- The language teams discuss final issues, regarding budgets, etc.
- Durk teaches 4 Render Administrators using a test set and afterwards helps the do their own set up for their languages.
- In the afternoon we go back to Tsodilo for the Ju/’hoansi community testing and see how well the two young men internalized the Bible story from September 2. Listening to a complete other language in a community setting helps the Hambukushu realize even more the importance of heart language and creates respect for other languages. The engagement of the community is great and one person in the crowd who is asking challenging questions, helps all the workshop participants realize how important it is to know and understand the story well in detail.
September 9
- Day off
September 10
- Travel day 11 hours from Shakawe, Northwest Botswana to Nata, East Botswana.
Regarding September 11 to 15 workshop at Northgate Lodge in Nata, Botswana:
- Shua background: The primary San people living in and near Nata. Their identity is challenged by integration into the overall Botswana society. The translation team is very organized, but they seem to have minimal Biblical exposure and have only started translating one or a few verses at a time. They are struggling, yet desiring a useful oral Scripture translation. During the week there are always various committee members present in the workshop, while we have three translators participating. Dikakanyo Dilo (Diyasha) is Shua female translator. Peiso Simon (Naro) and Badumedi Baitsapi (Dups)-Custer) are Shua male translators. Chief Santos Lesogo Kgaswaletsogo (Chief of Nata area) is the Shua, is the Treasurer of the Shua committee. Gigi Moalosi is the Shua vice chair. Oaitse Andries is vice secretary and Keene Itekeng (Tsaa, “water”) is also part of the Shua Committee.
- Ncirecere (Tsoa) background: This language is spoke cross border with Zimbabwe, but on a survey by Eben Le Roux, they only found one small group, which didn’t speak their language well. Decision was made to start the project on the Botswana side, with the Tsoa who know themselves as Ncirecere. We primarily relate to a lady from Manxotae, named Tshuba Kebobile, who is one of the Ncirecire translators. Congo Bame, an elderly Ncirecere man, is also a translator (he does not read/write). Master Seloko, a Ncirecere male translator was not at the workshop. Bampihetse Ngaka (his name means Doctor and he also goes by that name) is on the Ncirecire steering committee and he was present that last three days. Their identity is also challenged by integration into the overall Botswana society.
- Also present: Spoken Staff: Durk Meijer (lead) and John Stark (translation issues), Botshelo Trust Staff: Moronga Tanago (Coordinator who is Khwe, language Khwedam) and Eben Le Roux (Director, present only Monday and Tuesday). Toraa Dao Association Staff: Blesswell Kure (speaks Shua, Ncirecire, English, Tswana and is Project Manager, and the contact information is Private Bag N1, Nata, Botswana; email: blessteckure@gmail.com; phone +267-73077822.
September 11
- Frist we go and are introduced to the Nata village and area Chief, Chief Santos, who is also on the Shua oral Scripture translation committee.
- We start our workshop time after introductions with sharing stories about ourselves. We talk about the difference of real life stories and fictional stories, as well as stories that teach and stories that are for fun, etc. and we connect it to stories from the Bible.
- We model coming along side, recognizing their skills and that they understand their own worldview and that we are learners.
- We introduce the story from Luke 15:11-32, by Moronga modeling it in Setswana and next letting each group engage in their own language and internalize it. This process includes discussion and questions led by Moronga and Eben that help them going through the passage by looking at the details of the passage, like the characters in the story, the places, the issues at hand, etc.
- After lunch Eben leads the people in acting out the story and it shows quickly that they not really know it yet. Many details in the story have not been processed yet, which partly came through hearing it initially in Setswana (a second language) by a person from a different region and they all also don’t know Setswana that well. They next further process the story and are encouraged to share it for testing in their communities that evening.
September 12
- Only Blesswell and Tshube have shared the passage in their communities and they are enthusiastic about doing do, yet the others didn’t have that experience. We then discuss the importance of verbally communicating the narrative in order to test it for understanding, accuracy, clarity, and naturalness. We also show how this will help others to get involved and how it serves as a model from the start to help people engage.
- We have the story told again in the language of wider communication and after that in their own language by a person from each language.
- John models engagement questions. In this case we use translation questions that focus on the details that are part of the narrative and the understanding of the narrative. This helps them think through the story and brings the story together for them.
- Durk uses the magazine picture puzzle to help people understand how we connect things that belong together and how this helps us understand things step by step.
- Next they enthusiastically start to engage with the passage in a new way and before the end of the day, they internalize it and start practicing verbalizing it to each other in small groups, also using questions for checking purposes.
- We suggest community testing and after discussion the idea is to do it in coordination with the village chiefs on Wednesday morning both at the community court yard in Manxotae for the Ncirecere and in Nata for the Shua.
September 13
- We first visit Chief Santos, the Nata Chief once more with Sebastian Floor (and team), which proves a very strategic move. The Chief joins us in the Manxotae community checking session for the Ncirecere. It creates goodwill and community, since the Manxotae Chief is also present and there is a large group present. They engage well. Next we go to the Nata community court yard where Chief Santos presides over the meeting. Hearing the story now in Shua makes him realize how much the translators have done in the two days previous. He exclaims that they were struggling with a few verses but that they now know a complete story of more than 20 verses. The response to the story is very encouraging.
- In the afternoon we debrief on the story and they make further changes on their drafts.
- We introduce a second story, Luke 10:25-37 to be internalized and they engage with enthusiasm.
September 14
- The teams completely process the story from the beginning of listening to the passage and/or reading it in the Bibles they have to internalizing the passage, engaging with it, and verbalizing (telling) it, let others listen, internalize and engage with it, and verbalize it too.
- We intersperse sessions about the roles people play in the translation project, as well as the translation process.
- They do a first attempt to record their story on a Zoom recorder, so they can record the drafts as reference for accuracy and/or for people in the community check to listen to instead of a real telling (looking at pros and cons).
September 15
- We start with finishing the recordings of the passages and the tellers are very excited about being able to tell the stories well…. This is new for them.
- Later in the morning we share the recording of the second story in the community for community checking for each language. People engage well, but they like a real live telling better.
- Afterwards we debrief and they make some further changes on their draft.
- We close with a session about prayer (using the tree roots sample) and the stick person (basic understanding of God and the Bible), sharing the 13 passages that they can work on and try to finish by the next workshop (tentatively in early 2018).
- In the afternoon we debrief with Moronga and Blesswell.
September 16
- We drive to Maun, Durk goes on Johannesburg that afternoon.
September 17
- Durk meets with Ansie vander Merwe (Wycliffe SA Hambukushu Coordinator) and Linda Jordan (are surveyor for Wycliffe South Africa) for debrief.
Render issues to be considered:
- A simple button to close the program instead of the need to be tapping in the ’general’ left top area.
- A place to record the Scripture references as a separate recording but with the passage/set, possibly in up to 3 languages, due to diaspora uses needing numbers and names that have been chosen in context of the local language of wider communication.
- These reference need to be sent with the passages.
- Once a passage is sent on, that the translation team can still listen to it and that it will automatically be replaced with the most current version and then when Hosanna returns the post produced passage/set, that it will become the final version that then also can be downloaded from Render.
- The is the need for a 'Key term' database, where the people record key terms as a reference to be able to use them in future passages/sets.
- After receiving peer check back for revision... the choice is to make a comment, which is sent where? and existing recording goes on to community check, or only re-record which then goes back to peer check... we need the option to send peer a note or note and re-recording. If only note, then the option needs to be there to go on to community check or wait for response from peer check (needs option for dialogue).
Respectfully submitted,
Durk Meijer
Spoken Worldwide Ethno-communications Consultant
