By William Inganga (KNA)
Jehovah’s Witnesses inaugurated a new Kenyan Sign Language (KSL) translation office in Buruburu, Nairobi on Sunday.
The office was built on the site of a Kingdom Hall that the Witnesses had been using for several years.
It has a recording booth, stable internet connectivity, an alternate power source, and space for collaborative work. Accommodation for the five volunteers who work at the office has also been provided.
“We are very excited to open the translation office in this community where lifesaving Bible-based publications for the benefit of the deaf will be produced,” Noah Munyao, Spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses in Kenya said. “We are thrilled to see the hard work of our construction volunteers come to fruition.”
The construction of the Translation Office began in March 2021. The successful completion of the facility, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, heralded a signal in July 2022 that a team of KSL translators could move in.
Adjacent to the KSL translation area is a Kingdom Hall, where weekly meetings that center on Bible study are held. These meetings are open to the public and are free of charge.
The office’s location is rather strategic considering that many Deaf People live nearby.
“Translation of publications into sign language has served to strengthen the congregations because we now have what we need to teach Bible truths in a consistent and simple way,” said Debbie Mindu, one of the translation volunteers working at the new facility.
The Witnesses have been translating Bible-based publications into KSL since 2010.
Translation teams of Jehovah’s Witnesses around the globe have produced and distributed Numerous video publications in some 100 sign languages. These videos are available online at jw.org, without charge.