Nehemiah 8:8
"They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read."
SANYE COMMUNITY
The Sanye, a dialect of the Orma community, is among the minority and marginalized communities in Kenya.
The spread of Christianity in the Sanye community has been highly challenged by the dominance of Islamic religion within the society, a factor that has made it difficult for them to have a church of their own up-to-date. However, a team of determined translators chose to rise above all odds and began translating the Swahili New Testament into their heart language so as to make it easier for the people to understand the Word of God.
The team chose to involve community members irrespective of their beliefs, reaching out to 93 years old Dhabo, who was a Muslim, to help them in the translation exercise because of his prowess and deep understanding of the Sanye language. Despite his age and the challenges that came with it, like translating under a mango tree, Dhabo worked with a determination and faith that inspired everyone around him.
Through his interactions with the translators and getting to read the scriptures in his heart language, Dhabo began developing interest in knowing more about Christ and the translation team encouraged him to read more of the scriptures.