Nora: From Tanzania to Rwanda
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In 2019, Nora Hajian joined the Mara Cluster Project in Tanzania's Mara region (north-west, by Lake Victoria). This is an SIL International project, in which Nora serves as a seconded member from Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada. She is working and gaining experience as a lexicographer: she serves the Ikoma people by working towards an Ikoma dictionary, which is an important part of the language development and documentation that takes place alongside Bible Translation in SIL projects.
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nora returned to Canada under advisement of SIL Tanzania, Wycliffe Canada and the Canadian government. After months of working remotely in her hometown of Whitehorse, the doors opened for her to return to Africa, but this time serving through the new SIL Tanzania office in Kigali, Rwanda. The overall work of SIL Tanzania involves linguistics (the department Nora serves in), Bible translation, literacy programming and scripture engagement. Capacity-building in the form of training locals to work within the project is also a major aspect of the Mara Cluster Project. Nora sends out newsletters and updates. Email her at [email protected] to sign up for either of those. The grounds of the SIL Tanzania office in Musoma, featuring the banda (shelter) for tea breaks. Although there are no longer missionary expats working in that office, there are still around twenty local Tanzanian colleagues who work there on Bible Translation, Literacy and Community Engagement.
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I am grateful, upon moving to Rwanda for the first time, to be able to work with many of my colleagues who used to be in Musoma. One family hosted me for a month while I looked for a place to rent and got used to living in a new country, and their kids made sure I felt very welcome.
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About Nora
Nora is a graduate of both the University of Western Ontario, earning a Master's degree in Librarianship, and Trinity Western University, earning a Master's degree in Applied Linguistics. She was born and raised in Whitehorse, Yukon. She is a committed follower of Jesus Christ, and a member of the Whitehorse Church of the Nazarene, and has volunteered in various capacities over the years. Nora became a member of Wycliffe in late February 2017 and was officially invited to her first overseas assignment in late November 2017. From September 2018 to April 2019, she served as a Teaching Assistant at the Canada Institute of Linguistics, preparing Trinity Western students for Bible Translation work.
Despite some early work-permit difficulties, Nora received her work permit in January 2019 and started orientation in August 2019 in Dar Es Salaam (on the coast of Tanzania). In September 2019, she started Swahili training (so she can communicate with the Tanzanian workers in the Wycliffe office in Musoma), and eventually moved to Musoma where she enjoyed her new work as a lexicographer and linguist. In late March 2020, she had to return to Canada because of the worldwide COVID crisis, where she worked remotely for SIL Tanzania and Wycliffe Canada until August 2021, when God made it possible for her to return to East Africa. She is now working with most of her colleagues from Musoma in SIL Tanzania's new remote office in Kigali, Rwanda.
Work Details
Nora writes: At the moment, I'm working as a lexicography specialist by assisting the head lexicographer, who helps local communities produce dictionaries in the minority languages that are also going through Bible translation and literacy projects. Despite the challenges of COVID and the timing of furloughs, Imy colleagues and I were finally able to hold a Rapid Word Collection workshop with Ikoma speakers in July 2023, and we are on track to publish the first portion of the dictionary in May 2024. From the new SIL Tanzania office in Kigali, I am also able to make occasional work trips to Tanzania in order to work one-on-one with Ikoma speakers who can give me very valuable insight and feedback on the analysis I do and the word records I create. Finally, I eagerly help out with office linguistic tasks connected to Bible Translation or literacy programming whenever I get the chance.
Ikoma is spoken by about 36,000 people. The Ikoma people group used to live within the Serengeti, but after it became a national park, the Ikoma relocated to the western fringe of the Serengeti, closer to Lake Victoria. After years of work, and much prayer, the Ikoma finally received the New Testament in their own language in March 2023!
Ikoma is spoken by about 36,000 people. The Ikoma people group used to live within the Serengeti, but after it became a national park, the Ikoma relocated to the western fringe of the Serengeti, closer to Lake Victoria. After years of work, and much prayer, the Ikoma finally received the New Testament in their own language in March 2023!
How Long?
Nora's current term is February 2024-March 2026, and she will return home on furlough in March 2026, God-willing.
Funding
Nora's monthly budget for her position with Wycliffe Canada is currently 90% fulfilled.
How Can You Help?
In any ministry endeavor, those who are called by God will need the prayer support of God's people. The greatest thing you can do is pray.
Ministry also has financial costs, and Nora is no different than anyone else... she will have financial needs in order to fulfill God's call in this area.
If you are able to support this project, either one-time or on-going, your giving will be considered a charitable donation for income tax purposes. You can give directly to Wycliffe using the following project number when you contact Wycliffe:
FOR CANADIANS: Use Nora's Canadian project number 53993. You have several options on how you can send a donation.
OPTION 1. You can send a cheque to Wycliffe at:
Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada
4316 10 St. NE. Calgary AB T2E6K3
Make the cheque out to Wycliffe Canada, and add Nora's name and project number on the note line.
OPTION 2. You can call Wyclifffe Canada at 800-463-1143 and set up on-going contributions.
OPTION 3. You can go to https://www.wycliffe.ca/projects/hajian-nora/ and donate online. Enter in the amount you'd like to give in the field above the "Give Now" button, and, after you hit the button and go to the online donation form, you can fill in the details. If you would like your gift to be recurring on a monthly basis, there is an "I would like to make this a recurring monthly gift" slider near the bottom of the page that you can set to 'on'.
OPTION 4. You can download, print, and fill out this form and send it to the address above.
FOR AMERICANS: Use Nora's international project number: 243039.
You can phone Wycliffe Bible Translators (in the USA) at 1-800-992-5433 to donate over the phone.
You can also send checks to:
Wycliffe Bible Translators
PO Box 628200
Orlando, Florida 32862
Ministry also has financial costs, and Nora is no different than anyone else... she will have financial needs in order to fulfill God's call in this area.
If you are able to support this project, either one-time or on-going, your giving will be considered a charitable donation for income tax purposes. You can give directly to Wycliffe using the following project number when you contact Wycliffe:
FOR CANADIANS: Use Nora's Canadian project number 53993. You have several options on how you can send a donation.
OPTION 1. You can send a cheque to Wycliffe at:
Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada
4316 10 St. NE. Calgary AB T2E6K3
Make the cheque out to Wycliffe Canada, and add Nora's name and project number on the note line.
OPTION 2. You can call Wyclifffe Canada at 800-463-1143 and set up on-going contributions.
OPTION 3. You can go to https://www.wycliffe.ca/projects/hajian-nora/ and donate online. Enter in the amount you'd like to give in the field above the "Give Now" button, and, after you hit the button and go to the online donation form, you can fill in the details. If you would like your gift to be recurring on a monthly basis, there is an "I would like to make this a recurring monthly gift" slider near the bottom of the page that you can set to 'on'.
OPTION 4. You can download, print, and fill out this form and send it to the address above.
FOR AMERICANS: Use Nora's international project number: 243039.
You can phone Wycliffe Bible Translators (in the USA) at 1-800-992-5433 to donate over the phone.
You can also send checks to:
Wycliffe Bible Translators
PO Box 628200
Orlando, Florida 32862
Contact Nora!If you would like to contact Nora; maybe get on her email list, or if you have any questions, please enter your name and email address here and click on "Submit".
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