Confronting COVID-19 in Local Language Communities

Photo by Marc Ewell. This article is copied from the SIL website at www.sil.org. Roger is a member of both Wycliffe and SIL. Wycliffe is his home organization, while SIL is the overseas-facing organization that Roger serves. This article tells the story of SIL and Wycliffe as most members belong to both organizations.

(May 2020) At a time when staying informed is the best means to staying healthy, we all need access to clear and relevant information to protect ourselves and our communities. However, our research estimates that 30% of the world’s people do not have access to basic health information in their local languages, exacerbating an already dangerous crisis and risking further loss of life.

As the COVID-19 situation continues to unfold, SIL is actively responding to support under-resourced communities threatened by this pandemic. At a global level, SIL has been invited to partner with the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities COVID-19 response, an international initiative led by UNICEF and Religions for Peace, to help develop materials that can be used by faith leaders worldwide as they respond to the pandemic in their communities. 

At the community level, SIL is working to create health resources that are easy to translate, such as infographics, illustrated booklets and digital aides into local languages. A growing list of titles related to combating the virus are currently available for immediate download in a variety of languages from SIL’s digital Bloom Library. This content can be quickly translated by community members into other local languages and is free for public use. 

Recognizing that the threats of this disease extend beyond a community’s physical wellness, SIL’s Global Trauma Healing Services recently worked with other members of the Trauma Healing Institute to design an online lesson, “Healing from the Distress of the COVID-19 Crisis,” for widespread use. With no further training needed, this easy to use guide supports the health of mind, body and spirit. 

Several of our organizational partners have developed illustrated posters on hand washing and other important ways to slow the spread of the virus. SIL collaborated in these initiatives to provide the translated text for these posters in many local languages. Through print and social media sharing, these resources place key health phrases at the fingertips of local leaders in the path of this epidemic. 

SIL personnel are also working alongside other agencies to identify and simplify complex health terminology. This makes COVID-19 messaging easier to translate into local languages and more accessible in languages of wider communication. These “Tips for Translators” are meant to help those without professional translation experience working on the frontlines to translate essential information. 

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to threaten communities worldwide. However, local strategies to combat this deadly disease must be built around local languages in order to provide people with information that is understandable and culturally-appropriate. Communicating vital health information is a critical need during a crisis, and SIL is committed to providing the language resources needed to support the health and resilience of local communities worldwide.