Quotes from the Wantu Team: 

Elizabeth

I want to thank God for the chance he has given us, that he put us into this project. I have learned things I never knew in poems. I thought you could just cut a sentence; I never knew there were rules and ways of putting sentences together. For me, with back translation, I have learned that a poem and a story is different, and that in a poem there are some spices that can make the poem nice. 

Denis

I’m happy with this project because it has given me a connection between singing the Psalms and my culture. In the beginning, I didn’t realise that things that are happening in my culture are also happening in other cultures with how they praise God. Because of this training, I’ve now gone even deeper to see that the Psalms, more especially the writers, have deep poetry, and that the 

way they were singing is praising God. 

Hajira

I have learned something strange. Most of us, we know God; but in this workshop, I have learned that only the Lord is God! And when it comes to his graces, we need to humble ourselves. I have learned that God is greater than anything in this world. 

Dalitso

I like traditional music. I didn’t know that we can change the words of God into music. So this is helping me in that: even the words in the Bible, you can sing it; even the people in our village, they can like it and sing it. At the same time they are getting the words of God. 

Wilson

I am happy that we are learning new terminologies. Coming here, it has been an eye-opener. 

Kathy

Myself, I have learned how to cooperate with others and work as a team. During the workshop, the instructions from the poems have helped me to capture the message. The methods have helped us to easily internalise the poems and to record our own poems. We are given time to find a tune and a way to match the message of the Psalm.

Working with this team has helped me much to know how to translate something into our language. Through this experience, I was able to translate the code of conduct, and it was perfect. 

Emmanuel

I have learned more. Even my family, they were asking me “what are you doing there?” I said, “we are doing poems and singing.” They were appreciating and saying, “this is good! Continue; work hard.” This made us to open up our minds. I don’t have much to say, for me it is just to appreciate. 

Mercy

The thing I mostly like is that each Psalm we study gives a reflection into my life. I always try to remember them when I go back home and to do what it says. The Psalms display a beautiful reflection of God, and this work uses music in local ways. The ways we are interpreting the scriptures is helping the Wantu to see that they have a beautiful way to praise God. 

Juma

I like poems, I could say I am a poet (not professionally). I have learned some skills to help with this. Also, the process of translating and internalising has helped me to get the Psalm in my heart, which is very special. By translating the Bible from English to Wantu, we also help the community to understand the message of the Lord easily, and helps the spirituality of our communities.

Mineri

I am the one who doesn’t like singing, but now I’m happy because I start singing.