[school-discuss] Computer Software Translations in all South African

[Fhatuwani Rambau <fhatuwani@translate.org.za>]

[I'm forwarding this not because of it's appeal for funding
assistance (although if you want to help them that's fine), but
because they're providing educationally useful software localized
to many cultures that couldn't previously get such.--Doug]

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Dear Sir/Madam

Our NGO believed it was not only possible but important to
produce multi-lingual software and through this to improve the
lives of many South Africans. By making the Internet and computer
resources accessible to all South Africans.

Do you know that you can get computer software in many South
African languages?  IsiXhosa, IsiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana,
SiSwati, Tshivenda, through the work of our organisation.

Would you or your organisation be interested in sponsoring our
project.  There are various sponsorship opportunities; you could
sponsor a language or a translator? We are looking mainly for
financial assistance but would love to explore all possibilities
with you.  Please contact me via email or on the numbers below
and I can supply you with more details.

We've released a large body of software (visit our website at
http://www.translate.org.za to see our progress) in little over
one year of work.  The software is available as Opensource which
means that it is licensed for anyone to download off the Internet
and allowing users to freely share the software with each other.
  The software is by no means second-rate and includes the
Mozilla web-browser, the KDE desktop environment and will in the
future include the full OpenOffice office suite next year.

Our goals for this year are to cover all the other South African
official languages, review and improve the translations, add some
more software and build tools to make our efforts easier. This
however will only be possible with financial support.  Your
assistance would therefore be valuable.

Please email this to any people, corporate bodies or
organisations who you feel might be interested in this or who
might be able to assist translate.org.za.

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Kind regards
Fhatuwani Rambau

Venda Translator

Fhatuwani@translate.org.za            +27-21-448 9265 (work)
+27-21-448 9574 (fax)                                            

"An English-only, or even an English-mainly, policy necessarily
condemns most people, and thus the country as a whole, to a
permanent state of mediocrity, since people are unable to be
spontaneous, creative and self-confident if they cannot use their
first language"
             Dr Neville Alexander - 'Where English can Serve but
not Empower.'

Translate.org.za : " A willingness to learn and progress should
not be hindered by language barriers - Opensource software for
all South Africans".

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