Overcoming obstacles to Bible work
in the Seychelles

Dr Aloo Mojola, UBS Regional Translation Coordinator for Africa, pictured at the UBS World Service Center. Reading, England. Photo: United Bible Societies (ENG03DJ-2.JPG)

An interview with Dr Aloo Mojola, UBS Africa Regional Translation Coordinator

SEYCHELLES — Economic problems have created a significant challenge for the Bible Society of Mauritius as it has sought to undertake Bible translation and distribution in the Seychelles, one of the small island groups for which it is responsible. An interview with Dr Aloo Mojola, United Bible Societies (UBS) Regional Translation Coordinator for Africa, gives an insight into the current situation and looks at the prospects for overcoming the “drought for Bibles”.

“The New Testament in Seselwa, the local Seychelles Creole, was launched in January 2000 [see Latest News #112]. It proved very popular, and all available copies were quickly distributed. Right now there’s nothing in print. In fact, when I visited the Seychelles with Marc Etive, the General Secretary of the Bible Society of Mauritius, we found that there were no Scriptures available at all. We looked in the bookshops – no Bibles!

Cash-blocked

“The problem is really economic, as the Seychelles is a ‘cash-blocked’ country. The Bible Society of Mauritius used to send Bibles to the Seychelles, and it also financed – through UBS – the translation work on the Seselwa New Testament. All the money that was raised in the Seychelles through selling the Scriptures was returned to the Bible Society of Mauritius to pay for more Scriptures. It became impossible to exchange the local Seychelles currency into other currencies, so no more money could be sent to Mauritius. This went on for quite some time, and finally the Bible Society of Mauritius decided that it could no longer send Scriptures to the Seychelles.

“So when we went we found this situation; they took us everywhere, they said ‘there are no Bibles’, not even their own New Testament, all sold out. It was a kind of ‘drought for Bibles’. The relevant UBS authorities were informed, and they decided to offer help.

Waiting

“Plans were being made to produce the whole Bible in Seselwa, but no funding was available for work on the Old Testament. It was decided to send Bibles (in English and French) and a reprint of the Seselwa New Testament to the Seychelles, sell them and use the money for the Old Testament project. The money would have to remain within the Seychelles because you can’t send it out. Right now that is the plan, but it hasn’t been fully implemented yet. When I was there recently they were still waiting for the Bibles to arrive.

“My purpose for going this time was to hold a workshop to prepare translators for work on the Old Testament. We have identified three qualified translators, but we need the permission of their churches, because they are pastors. They must be freed from this work to become full-time translators on the Old Testament. We are now waiting for the Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops and the Seventh-day Adventists – a very strong church in the Seychelles – to give permission. The main translator of the New Testament was a Seventh-day Adventist. He is helping with the selection process, but he is not in good health and quite old. His own church does not wish to put his name forward for the Old Testament project, so it will be a new translation team. My task was to do preliminary training, orientation and identification of the translators.

Interact

“The population of the Seychelles is only around 80,000, so everybody knows each other. The three translators know each other, but they haven’t worked together before. This project will create an opportunity for them to interact. Their work does not really involve discussing theology, but their differences in theology inevitably surface from time to time. This is where the translation consultant comes in – working with the translators to help them to reach a solution to their theological differences, but always avoiding imposing a solution. The translators must reach agreement based on their own understanding.

Paratext

“With regard to technical resources for the Old Testament project, the translators we have identified are quite well trained in using computers. They’re familiar with commercial software programs, but not with specialised software like Paratext. Paratext has become the standard software for any translation project. It’s used by all UBS translation consultants and by most consultants in SIL and has completely revolutionised our work.

“Everything – newspapers, educational materials, everything – is printed in Seselwa because it is the official language. That’s why the New Testament in Seselwa was so important when it was published. The problem with getting money out of the country was the reason why the reprint was delayed, otherwise it would have happened almost immediately. This problem has also hampered work on the Old Testament, which would probably have made a lot of progress by now. The Marxist government which has been in place for many years is basically secular, but does not actively oppose religious activities. The Roman Catholics are the main church – the government doesn’t give them any special privileges, but it doesn’t hamper their activities.

Marxist government