The National Translators Education Fund

The NTEF project has been running since 2009 and subsidises training in translation and language development activities for national translators. The goal is to train Papua New Guinean translators to be able to produce a quality vernacular translation of Scripture.

NTEF scholarships are granted after applications are reviewed and evaluated. Applicants are working in a SIL, PNG BTA or an independent language program. Criteria for acceptance include academic qualifications, finished village assignments for previous courses, equal distribution of scholarships over different language teams, and willingness to bring a community contribution of K100.00 per week of training per language team. The scholarship can cover course fees, room and board at the training location (Ukarumpa or Alotau), travel, course material, and books. The project has supported independently funded translation teams, as well as those working with the PNG Bible Translation Association, a locally governed Bible translation organisation, thereby multiplying the number of language groups this project supports. These translators bring their own investment to the table, usually from their language community, contributing to their training costs and completing village assignments between courses to prove their commitment. Every scholarship funded is a translator equipped, a language team strengthened, and a community one step closer to holding Scripture in the language of their heart.

The Gulf Delta Cluster Project

This is an ongoing project since 2021 that seeks to strengthen the churches and Christians who live along the river deltas of Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea. So far this has included traditional translation work with the Kope people, Oral Bible Storytelling (OBS) with six local language communities, Scripture Engagement, Vernacular Literacy Training, and resource production.

We are at a stage where a number of local people who attended Scripture Engagement and Vernacular Literacy Training are being trained as trainers, and we are ready to start training local OBS trainers and, alongside the new trainers, reaching out to some neighbouring languages. This next stage of growth needs support on the ground. We’re seeking funding to hire a local project manager for a six-month, parttime contract, starting February, to handle logistics and administration that will keep this locally-led work moving forward. Your gift will help trained locals train others in their language community, increasing literacy rates, multiplying the use of Scripture in the language community, and leading to transformed lives.