Project Summary
2020
The translation project for Kimochi Bible started in January 1993 and was expected to end in December; 2013.The completion date has been revised to 2018 due to reasons beyond our control including inadequate funding. The New Testament was completed, Published and officially launched in November 2000; the project is in the stage of Typesetting. In 2020 we plan to finish up the Compiling work, typesetting, Printing and Launching the Kimochi Bible.
It is desired that in 2020 the following activities will be carried out:-
- Compiling all the work
- Printing.
- shipping
- Launching
Traditionally the Kimochi community is marred by evil practices such as witchcraft, alcoholism, polygamy and idolatry. Kimochi people have longed to have the Bible in their mother tongue for many years. This continuing translation is a blessing to this community. It is expected that, availability of the Bible in kimochi language will have a positive effect on church growth and deepening of personal faith that will lead to changed behavior in the community-minimizing the bad practices. . Having the Bible in their language will not only enable them to understand the Bible better, but it will also help preserve their language and cultural heritage.
It is targeted that a total of 250,000 people will benefit from this project.
Our partners in this project are Lutheran, Anglican, Roman Catholic and Pentecostal churches in the project area. The Bible Society has learnt that, Church involvement in the Bible cause brings great success to Bible translation work.
This project in line with Philadelphia promise and the Bible Society of Tanzania Strategic Plan (2018 – 2022)
Project Goal
To have the entire Bible published in Kimochi, which will serve to strengthen the churches and enable them to reach out to non-Christians around them.
Project goal’s relationship to overall bible society strategy
To make available the Bible available in the Kimochi language for faith and spiritual enhancement among the Kimochi language speakers.
Strategic Fit
Connecting your project to your Bible Society’s overall mission strategy
How does your project relate to the Philadelphia Promise?
To translate the Bible in Kimochi language for mission work among Kimochi speakers. This is in line with the Bible Society’s
Strategic objectives that emphasizes the Society’s responsibility of facilitating translation of the Bible into languages without Bible, publish, and print the same – making it available to the community as the Word of God helping them to grow both in faith and spiritually
About the beneficiaries
How did you arrive at your beneficiary impact number?
According to Tanzanian Statistics
Beneficiary focus
The target audience are all Christians and non-Christians who speak and read this language. The Bible is expected to be used for evangelism as well as for liturgy by the more than 300 thousand or so Kimochi speakers who currently use the Swahili Bible.
How have the needs and perspective of the beneficiaries helped shape the design of the project?
Thorough research was done before Kimochi translation started. The Church
in the language area requested the Bible Society to facilitate the
translation and was ready to partner by providing translators, reviewers
and office space.
National Context
The Kimochi-Chagga speakers had the New Testament for the first time in 1939. This was the first and only New Testament in any of the Chagga dialects. Since that time nothing else has appeared in this language. This means that speakers of Kimochi have never had the complete Bible or the books of the Old Testament Scriptures in their own language. Moreover the 1939 New Testament is now outdated and out of print. This means that speakers have had to use the Swahili Scriptures for most of their Scripture need. Hence the request by the churches to prepare the complete Bible in this major Chagga dialect to enable speakers to read the Scriptures in their own language.
Need
ISP funding allocated to the project is inadequate to cover all costs. This contributes the project to take much longer to complete. The undesignated fund from the Bible Society may not be available to supplement the project total budget
The completion of the translation of the Bible can be improved or expedited if more funding was made to hire the translators on full time basis. Currently the translators are also given assignments by their Diocese. They must be attached to the church because what they are paid by the project is too little to sustain their living.
With the current pace of translation the work may not be completed according to schedule.
How this project will help the beneficiaries
The Bible is expected to help evangelism as well as churches growth. But also to change the Kimochi behavior. Availability of the Word of God in Kimochi language will also impart Bible
knowledge to the language speakers that will help them to grow in faith
and spirituality – such knowledge will help them to ward off evil
practices like occult, idolatry, rampant suicide behavior and polygamy
Scripture & Prayer
Key Verse
Mathew 28:16-20
Prayer points
- Pray for support from the churches and for availability of all necessary resources.
- Pray that the Full Bible will be actively used and bring about the required impact.
Project Activities
Project activities
2020
It is desired that in 2020 the following activities will be carried out:-
- Compiling all the work.
- Printing.
- Launching
Project partners
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania- Northern Diocese:
The Diocese provides the Translators and Reviewers.
Monitoring of translation work on a day to day basis.
Encouraging and motivating translators in doing quality job
Provide office for translation work
The Bible Society of Tanzania:
paying monthly honoraria to translators
Training translators on different translation programmes like Para-text, computer use
Training of reviewers to facilitate review sessions to ensure good quality translation
Providing equipment like computers, printers and utilities like stationeries
The United Bible Societies Africa Area Service Centre:
Provides translation Consultant
Provides training for new translators
Provide training on new translation programmes.
Outputs & Impacts
Outputs from the project
2019
- Compiling all the Bible
- CAP checks all Bible
- Printing.
- Launching
Impact
-
Impact 1
Short term impact
- Increase in translation skills among translators
- A strong relationship between churches and Bible Society built
- Unity among Church denominations enhanced
- Increased enthusiasm and inquiries on the full Bible among the Kimochi speakers.
Long term impact
- Increased understanding of the Bible message.
- Increased denominational unity among churches.
- Increased skill and knowledge for translators
- Increased sell of Bibles.
- Kimochi speaker’s traditions and culture archived.
- Churches equipped with a tool of evangelism.
- Increased demand for Scriptures
- Reduced number of malpractices in the community such as: – Adultery, Early childhood marriages, polygamy, drunkenness, witchcraft, stealing, etc.
- Increased awareness about the Bible Society.
Indicators
– Reduced quarrels arising from family misunderstandings.
– Reduced level of alcoholism
Tracking
– Undertaking facts finding research – interviewing community members & leaders.
Tracking unexpected outcomes
– Undertaking facts finding research – interviewing community members & leaders.
Supporting Information
Research
- The Church in the language area approached the Bible Society and presented their need of the Bible in their language.
- Informal research was carried out to ascertain the need for the project and the need was then approved by the Board.
Leadership track record
- The Bible Society of Tanzania has good track record after undertaking many projects successfully. The Bible Society has a stable and able leadership that keeps close followup on projects implementation.
- The Bible Society also has Translation Manager who keeps close followup on translation projects.
Best practices
- The Church leaders and the community cooperation with translators is quite motivating and engaging.
- The Bible Society involvement creates confidence in the implementation of this project