My first weeks

I started my week so fine I even forgot that on Friday it was a public holiday I realised afterwards. The second week came and was the week of Christmas Eve and Christmas. It was also fine although it was kinder disturbing cause everybody was excited and preparing for Christmas. I have not experienced any difficulties though since I have already started with translating some po file. My mentor is helping me to correct mistakes there and there and making sure I reach my goals. When it comes drawing goals I set them too high but I am working on that. I guess the say that says “Aim to the sky and you'll fall upon the stars” became kinder really when it comes to my goals. I am still enjoying my work so far. The only hiccups I had so far was a power failure problems in some days but so far everything is fine.

What it means to me to be an OPW intern?

It was on a Wednesday morning. I had just woke up wondering what the day will bring for me. I was just browsing internet in my computer haven't checked my emails. I received a text message via Empathy ( One of the Gnome's programs) that I was accepted as one of the interns starting for 2011 Dec. I was so excited! I could not contain the joy I had. Started jumping and Dancing. I was excited that I was getting this opportunity, let alone that I was now a second woman ever in history in South Africa to be accepted for this internship. That part only was making me more joyous. I am happy to know that with my contribution now the software will be available in IsiXhosa and appreciate the opportunity they give me to learn. I also thankful that they have granted me an opportunity to write on my Curriculum Vitae that I have an experience in translating software.

Beautiful joy from the results

The commands I have typed in Terminal


Output after typing the commands in Terminal

Every-time I translate, one thing I always look forward to is to test my work. Just to see a software that was in English language changing into IsiXhosa language it make me feel great. Maybe great is an under-statement it make me feel like I can create. One small change makes me feel like I can bring about a great change in the world. I used to see Friedel running terminal to test software and I would think wow! I wonder how is he doing that. Now I can do that on my own (Thanks to Friedel). I am so happy, It's like these days me and terminal are friends. I just give a command and it does the Job for me. Wow what a joy!

Programmes I enjoy using

The programmes I enjoy are: Empathy, games and Cheese. With empathy I like the fact that you can chat with different people from different groups using one program. You can chat with people who are using Yahoo, Google talk, Facebook, Gnome groups and other.

Cheese is the program to take pictures and videos. I has different exciting animinations/ effects. It is one of the programmes I am planning to translate soon.







I enjoy using programs in my language for example there is a Gnome game I like to play. It is available in English but I chose to view all the programmes in my language if they are translated. As you see in this picture it was written in English before but because it was translated in isiXhosa the language in the toolbar has changed.

The love of my language Xhosa

My dream is to create and uphold a multilingual environment in which every citizen can live a functional life in his/her language. I will start with my language isiXhosa because charity begins at home. My vision is to help keep my language alive and progressing so that it can be carried on to the next generation. I believe language is not only for communicating with each other but it also carries a rich culture in it. If you do not know your language it is very rear to know your culture. The new South African constitutional rule specifies that there are eleven official languages in South Africa, it encouraged me to stand in the gap for my language and see it my mandate to carry it through. The kinds of resources that I want to see them available in IsiXhosa are software, books and research papers. With my previous experienced gained I will make use of technical aspect to share my knowledge. I have started working towards that by being a volunteer to translate Gnome’s software. I am so passionate about my language that when ever I open my computer I want to see it , and read it. Although in the picture above not everything is translated to my language (Xhosa), that brings a challenge to me to make it my duty to translate it. Having been introduced to Linux and Gnome by Friedel I have seen my dream becoming reality. I also realised that it is my responsibility to help localise software and make it available in my language. Change begins with you!

Linux

I was introduced to Linux the first day I started working at translate.org as an IsiXhosa Language Practitioner. I found it user friendly. I learnt about Ubuntu but later on Fedora was installed in my computer. With Linux it easier to download programmes and to get an access to internet. I did not have internet access but since I used Linux it was easy to connect on the internet using my phone Samsung (Star) that is Mobile broadband.

I was also introduced by Friedel Wolff to Gnome. I got interested in translating some of the programmes to IsiXhosa. I started with Eye of Gmone using Virtaal to translate. I got lot of suggestions because there are people who have worked on Xhosa translations before although they are no longer active.

I find it exciting to use my computer and programmes because now I can get them in my language (Xhosa) and I can also make changes through my translations. I would love to see many Xhosa's using their computers in isiXhosa.