Celebrating and Caring for Kiswahili Speakers on World Kiswahili Language Day
July 7 is UNESCO's World Kiswahili Language Day. The day celebrates the role Kiswahili (Swahili) plays in promoting cultural diversity, creating awareness, and fostering dialogue. According to UNESCO, the day also "promotes multilingualism as a core value of the United Nations and an essential factor in harmonious communication between peoples, which promotes unity in diversity and international understanding, tolerance, and dialogue."
Kiswahili is one of the most widely used languages in Africa. It is the most widely spoken in sub-Saharan Africa, and among the 10 most widely spoken languages in the world, with more than 200 million speakers. In honor of World Kiswahili Language Day, join us in learning about how caring people around the world helped bring safe water to one community in Tanzania, where Swahili is the official language.
For the more than 6,000 residents of Chikola, Tanzania, finding water was a daily, and sometimes divisive, challenge.
The closest source available was a long distance away and filled with frogs, bugs, and contaminants which made it unsafe. The amount of time spent collecting water caused conflict in families as it limited time to attend to household needs and the pursuit of economic opportunities. Watch this “Water Builds Community” video to see how Water Mission and the people of Chikola worked together to transform lives in their community.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnQzuvQhMGI
Now safe water is flowing to nine tap stand locations throughout Chikola. The safe water systems were built to utilize solar power with the alternative option of using a generator when needed. With safe water close to home, overall relational and physical health in the community has improved. People have time to focus on economic opportunities and children spend time attending school, not searching for water.
Yet, there are many communities like Chikola who still lack access to safe water. Will you consider blessing your global neighbors with the gift of safe water? Your support will bring healing and hope, transforming lives in Tanzania and around the world. As we celebrate World Kiswahili Language Day, we are thankful for all who partner with us to fight the global water crisis. To all who join us in this pursuit, we say a heartfelt thank you in Swahili: asante sana!
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