Ugandan develops language translating app

By Billy Rwothungeyo                

Ambrose Awici-Rasmussen is a Ugandan living in Norway and he is married to a Norwegian national.

To overcome the fear that his native language will one day be alien to his children, Awici-Rasmussen decided to develop a mobile app for language translation.

The mobile app, named “Safarini translator”, provides a communication aid for translations in English, Kiswahili, Kikuyu, Luganda and Langi languages.

“I came up with this idea (of developing the app) after realizing that I am living in Norway where we have such apps for mobile translations, unlike in Uganda. Our children growing up in the diaspora also need to learn their native languages,” says Awici-Rasmussen.

Safarini translator is an off-line app that makes it possible for one to translate while on the move in places without internet connection.

“This app is also useful to Ugandans who want to learn other local languages. If you have an app on your mobile phone, it is more convenient for you than moving around with a book,” he explains.

The app has been available for android operating system users on Google Play and I-phone users for about three months.

“You simply choose which language you want to translate from and the one you want to translate to. You type in the word or sentence that you want to translate and the option of translating shows up on your screen, which you just press,” explains Awici-Rasmussen.

Why the chosen languages?
Of course English is arguably the world’s most important language. But of the hundreds of languages that are spoken in the region, how did Awici-Rasmussen zero down on the other four?

“I decided to pick which languages are most widely spoken. Kiswahili is a language spoken across East Africa, Kikuyu is the largest tribal language in Kenya, Luganda is the most spoken language in Uganda,” he explains.

To only be fair to his roots, Awici-Rasmussen added his native language, Langi to the app. “Hadn’t I included my own language, I was going to be skinned alive,” he heartily jokes.

Awici-Rasmussen studied in Uganda throughout all levels. He studied computer animations at Kyambogo University before going to Europe where has worked for the last eight years.

 “In software development, you start with phases. If you start so big, you may be overwhelmed,” he says.

Awici-Rasmussen says Swahili should be the language that interests Ugandans the most, in light of regional integration efforts.

“With integration of the EAC regional bloc, it is becoming important for Ugandans to learn how to speak Kiswahili which is good for the integration of the East African Community region,” he adds. 

Although article 137 of the treaty for the establishment of the East African Community provides that Kiswahili shall be the lingua franca of the Community, Uganda is not quite on the same wave length with neighbours Kenya and Tanzania on the use of the language.

 “Language is an important aspect of development. In fact, research has proven that most people learn better in their native languages. One of our biggest challenges in Uganda is the cost of accessing internet. This is hopefully going to get better, and with this Ugandans will be exposed to more opportunity,”Awici-Rasmussen elaborates.

He says with internet becoming affordable to more youth, Ugandan youth passionate about ICTs will have a better shot at developing mobile apps.

“Right now, we do not feel the effect as much because not so many things in Uganda are internet based, but when this changes, for example, I have my ticket on my I-phone. When I am boarding a bus in Norway, I just show my phone at the entrance. All I need to do is just keep updating it on the internet.

When Awici-Rasmussen visited the New Vision, Reidar Karlsen, the chairman of the Norwegian-Russian Chamber of Commerce (NRCC), accompanied him.

Karlsen why such more apps should be fast tracked in Uganda.

“Communication among different groups of people is important. Only then can you start talking about unity. Language breaks barriers, and if this app can do that then, then that will be very good.

"I believe that language is not only the key to peace and unity, but to a good life. When I started working in Russia, one of the first things I did was to sit down for six months to learn Russian,” he says.