Have you ever tried to have a conversation with someone who doesn’t speak the same language as you? If you have, you know that it can be a big challenge.
In Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement, many of the South Sudanese refugees who have sought safety there don’t speak English – they speak Arabic, among many other languages. And yet, our Ugandan staff and volunteers mainly speak English. This is clearly a time when translators are needed – and a lot of them.
We have volunteer translators who are crucial to helping us do our work. But we really want and need them to stick around. So for Day 91, we’re taking the next step – creating paid positions for these incredibly hardworking people. And, we’re honoring them with some gifts – like notebooks and pens – to help them do their work.
“When I don’t have a translator, I face problems when there are many languages. I don’t know many of them,” said Jamal from the ARC team. “So if they come and I can’t communicate, we face some problems.”
Jamal relies on translators like Moses to help. “I’ve only known Jamal for one month, but I’m happy to help him,” said Moses.
Supporting our translators is one of the most important things we can do at Bidi Bidi. They help us to communicate with people. To understand what’s going on in their lives. To know what’s working – and what’s not. Bringing them on board was a simple way to make that connection even stronger, letting their voices be heard – loud and clear.
