Author: Bible Society, 15 September 2017
Two small boys are signing the 10 commandments, their faces animated, their hands moving fast. For someone who doesn't understand sign language, it is compelling and beautiful to watch. For the boys' 160 peers (including the boy on the front cover), at Swaziland's only school for deaf children, it's how they engage with the Bible – in the language of their heart.
Our team in Swaziland has been working with the Siteki School for the Deaf since 2009 to translate the Bible into sign language. So, far 25 stories have been translated and produced as videos, then tested with the children in school. There are 107 more stories to go, then the team hope to fill in the gaps to complete the whole Bible.
Bullying is no more. The children really help each other
Deaf children are very visual learners, so abstract ideas in Scripture such as forgiveness and redemption are diffcult for them to grasp. When you talk about God, for example, they ask where he lives. Reading the Bible is not easy either – but seeing God's word in sign language brings it to life. According to headteacher Thobilesanatu Fakudze, the impact is evident around school. 'The children's reaction to the stories has been amazing,' she said. 'We have seen their behaviour starting to change. Bullying is no more. The children really help each other.'
We see this for ourselves. All the children here are profoundly deaf, and many have additional needs – but we watch as older children help less able ones down some steps, and a small boy in a wheelchair is gently carried into his classroom by a bigger pupil. Everywhere, the children welcome us with warmth, smiles and enthusiasm.
The translation is being produced by three people, including deaf pastor Anthony Langwenya, who is an assistant at the school. The team are briefed on the background and context by a Bible scholar, then agree between themselves how to retell the story. They shoot a 10-minute video with two sign language speakers, one interpreter and a supervisor. Their 'studio' is a green sheet pinned on a wall in our offices. There are around 400 sign languages in the world but not one has a completed Bible translation. In Swaziland, sign language is not even an official language. But our team hope that by pressing ahead with this significant work, they can reach an overlooked community with God's word.
'Love is always demonstrated best when it's shown to the least privileged,' said Ngcebo Mbuli, who leads our work in Swaziland. 'If we're saying the Bible is for everyone, we must love everyone. This is how we share the Bible.'
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