A. MINISTRY OVERVIEW
The Mission Statement of the Society noted earlier captures the ministry of the BSK. This ministry was undertaken in the year with the following summary results:
A.1 TRANSLATION AND PRODUCTION
A.1.1 Translation progress
BSK started the year with the following six Bible inter-confessional Translation projects after completion of the Pokot Bible: New Kikamba, new Kimiiru, new Oluluyia, first Kiembu-Kimbeere, first Lukakamega-Lutirichi, and first Lubukusu. In July 2005, the revision of the Kalenjin Bible started in Eldoret, retaining the number of projects to seven as in 2004. This translation programme cost Bible Society a total of Ksh.7,552,914. This represents 12.5% decrease from the previous year cost of Ksh.8,636,004 and was 14.14% of the total BSK expenses in the year.
Costs went down because of completion of the Pokot Bible in 2004.
The seven projects, all inter-confessional, made the following progress as a percentage of the whole Bible:
Project | Progress 2003 | Progress 2004 | Progress 2005 | Change % | Comments | |
1 | Kikamba | 9.6% | 10.3% | 10.5% | 0.2% | Target for 2005 was 9%. Third translator recruited in the year. Good review team. |
2 | Kimiiru | 5.1% | 9.3% | 6.3% | (3%) | Many changes in translators. Coordinator Richard Bariu went for Ph.D studies. Two new translators appointed. Due for completion in 2006 |
3 | Oluluyia | 7.5% | 5.5% | 9.4% | 3.9% | Common Language NT launched on 8th May 2005at Ebuchinga Secondary School. Most improved team from 2004 performance. |
4 | Kiembu-Kimbeere | 7.2% | 8.9% | 8.4% | (0.5%) | Kiembu - Kimbeere literacy primer Ni Gwakia launched at St. Marks College, Kigari in May 2005 |
5 | Lukakamega - Lutirichi | 10.2% | 8.4% | 12.1% | 3.7% | Launched first NT in on 2nd April at Kaimosi TTC. Best performer in the year. |
6 | Lubukusu | Not determined | 11.9% | 11.1% | (0.8%) | Project due for completion in 2006. Made best progress in the year over many years. |
7 | Kalenjin Revision | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Much of the six months spent in training. Revised Genesis and Exodus books |
Highlights in the year included the following:
A.1.2 New Translators
Three new translators and three revisors were recruited in the year, Rev. Charles Kimwele (AIC) for the Kikamba Project, Pastor Elias Mukindia (KAG) and Mr. Gerald Wachira Mugo (Full Gospel) for Kimiiru Project. Rev. Samwel Kikwai (Africa Gospel Church) and Rev. Daniel Rugut (RCEA) joined the Kalenjin revision team. A Roman Catholic priest translator did not take up his position after appointment.
A.1.3 Training for Translators
— Computer / Paratext training
A Computer (Paratext) training was carried out on 8th – 12th August 2005 at the BSK boardroom. The aim of the training was to entrench the new translators on the basic issues involved in the management of translation text using computers. Participants were mainly new translators and some not so new from the Kîmîîrű, Kikamba, Oluluyia and Kalenjin Projects.
The topics covered included File Naming & Standard format markers, Windows commander & Explorer, footnotes & working with poetry among others.
· Translation workshop
To wrap-up these activities, a workshop was held on the 15th – 19th August 2005 to provide more training to the new translators. The objective of the workshop was to enable the translators to identify important basic translation principles and to apply these principles in their translation tasks. Dr. Joyce Wangia of Kenyatta University helped to facilitate in this workshop. She came in with a great wealth of examples of translation issues based on her PhD work in Lulogooli. We are ever so grateful to interact with scholars of her kind.
· Annual BSK translators’ workshop/Paratext training :
The three day workshop facilitated by Fr. Francis Maundu (Kikamba translator), Mr. Stephen Mwangi (BSK Manuscript Examiner), and Dr. Margaret Muthwii (Translation Consultant for BSK projects was held on November 7th – 9th 2005, in Karen, Nairobi. It brought together translators with the focus of reviewing some of the issues they have raised with regard to the use of the computers and any other concerns they had. The goals of the training were:
a) To carry out an update on the training that had earlier been given to all the projects, particularly in the last two years.
b) To introduce the translators to some manuscripts checks to enable them to carry out such checks on their texts during the normal stages of working on their drafts, instead of waiting until the Manuscript Examiner is available for checking the various manuscripts. This wait is now unnecessary since acquisition of computers for all projects.
Prior to the start of the workshop, the facilitators had had carried out a survey to establish the various needs for different translators that included:
. Up date on various Standard Format Markes and their usage.
. Update on how to properly format footnotes in Paratext and how to create text files in Paratext and the Preliminary and Supplementary files.
- Tracking capacity in Paratext.
- Twin issues of working with Windows Commander and proper management of files.
- Revisit of the Find Command and the issue of creating Wordlists/Databases and Analusis/Vocabula.
The Work Plan for this workshop ensured that these queries were addressed. Three basic Paratext checks were taught to the translators (to be doing during their normal work sessions on the texts): Chapter/Verse Check, Checking Capitalization, Checking Punctuation (Matched Pairs and Quotation Marks). The key emphasis in the Workshop, therefore, was on practical working with texts.
The ICTP course
.The ICTP course, sponsored jointly by BSK and the Bible Translation and Literacy (BTL), was held at the BTL Center, Ruiru between 7th and 25th March 2005. BSK sponsored Mrs. Anjeline Musikoyo (Oluluyia project) and Rev. Charles Kimwele (Kikamba project) to this course in 2005. The 2005 ICTP course was one of the most heavily attended in the recent past, with participants coming from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan and Somalia. BSK TC, Dr. Margaret Muthwii taught some of the sessions.
A.1.4 Production and Launching of Scripture
· The first Lukakamega – Lutirichi NT was launched on 2nd April 2005 at a very colourful ceremony at the Kaimosi Teachers’ Training College. Mr. Isaac Litali, the BSK Treasurer preached on the occasion. The new Oluluyia NT was launched 7th May 2005 at Ebuchinga Secondary School in a very well attended launch, where the Deputy Provincial Commissioner for the Western Province, several Members of Parliament and Councillors participated. Rev. Canon Micah Amukobole, a member of the Board preached to a very musically charged gathering of several church denominations, curious on-lookers and church and civic leaders.
· Typesetting the new Logooli Bible in Philippines was completed in the year, now undergoing first page proofs.
· Proof reading of the first page proofs of the new Gikuyu Bible with DC was completed in the year. Final typesetting now in progress. It is hoped that printing and launching will be undertaken in 2006.
· Preparation of the Kiswahili Study Bible based on the Biblia Habari Njema was completed and typesetting almost completed. It is hoped that the Bible will be launched in 2006
· The English Standard Version of the Bible (ESV) was introduced to the Kenya market in a colourful launching ceremony at the Grand Regency Hotel on 8th September 2005. The Rev. Prof. Watson Omulokoli of Kenyatta University was the Guest Speaker on the occasion. The word-based (literal) translation is expected to make significant inroads in acceptability and use in theological colleges and churches, following the success of the RSV text from which the ESV Bible has been prepared.
A.1.5 Other translation issues
· Pastors’ Symposia
Apart from the interaction with the leadership of the churches in the Kalenjin language area on the revision of their Bible, BSK had three Pastors’ symposia in Migori (31st March), Kakamega (10-11th May) and Nairobi (19th May).
The Migori and Nairobi symposia were radically different from the Kakamega one in that while they took the typical BSK pastors’ symposium pattern, with pastors from different churches, the Kakamega meeting was made up of 40 pastors of the ACK Diocese of Maseno and their Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Simon Oketch. Lessons learnt from both types of symposia will be applied in the years to come. These meetings bring pastors together to discuss various issues about the Bible that may be affecting their operations. This includes methods of Bible translation, interpretation, new versions, bible reading, and so on. They have been very refreshing and educative to the pastors in different aspects of the Bible, and why Bibles in English language differ from translation to translation.
· Literacy work
Little literacy work was witnessed in the year among the projects, except in Kiembu-Kimbeere where a literacy primer Nîgwakîa was released to the community in a colourful ACK ceremony presided over by the Minister of Education, Prof. George Saitoti. Kimiiru project needs to have the new orthography gazetted as soon as possible. The United Bible Societies has recommended that every translation project should have a literacy component to ensure that the people can read and write to fully utilize a Bible translated in their mother tongue.