BotswanaLanguage Exploration Program

Support Botswana’s summit success, ongoing training for translators, and efforts to update vital Scripture databases.

Bible Translation

Country

  • Botswana

Region

  • Southern Africa

Language Population

72,600

Proper program planning takes time

Language exploration uses appreciative inquiry – listening to the communities’ unique Scripture needs. This approach takes time but leads to greater openness and acceptance of God’s Word.

Two people sharing a greeting in Botswana

Coordinating data & Insights is Key

Translation teams rely on updated databases to help answers questions such as: Is this a good project? Are there other people working on it? What is the status of the language? These efforts engage the community in dialogue.

Your financial gifts and prayers equip ministry leaders in Botswana to host the annual Southern Africa Bible Translation Summit. The annual summit was established in 2023.

Program Goals

  1. Mobilize, equip, and empower translation teams.
  2. Update Ethnologue, ProgressBible, etc. with Botswanan language data.
  3. Conduct longitudinal study on language use in Botswana, based on work from Hasselbring and Cook.
  4. Collect all-access goals target language data to accurately target and serve those language groups.

Botswana Language Exploration Program Plan

Step 1

Hold stakeholder meetings in language areas to encourage local ownership.

Step 2

Provide deeper training for both new and veteran translators.

Step 3

Update global Bible translation databases with language information from Botswana.ui, Ts’ ixa, Cua.

Meet the Local Team

Partner Organizations

Honoring the Language

Six current languages of focus: Chiikuhane, Tjhetswapong, Birwa, Timbukushu, !Xoon, G//ana, and G/.

Program Progress

The first ever Southern Africa Bible Translation Summit was held in 2023 and had several productive outcomes.

  1. Two opportunities were identified to work in languages that cross the Botswana and Namibia borders. Research and information gathering is underway.
  2. Connections made will provide veteran translators with training and knowledge to serve other language communities with future projects.

The 2024 Summit was held in June. Read the story.

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