“We come from a tough life, but since I got closer to the Word of God, things started to change!” These are the words of Paulus Chapi, project manager for the Hambukushu Bible translation. The Hambukushu are a cross border group of about 60,000 people that reside in northern Namibia and now also in Botswana after being displaced there due to war. They are primarily an oral people.

After several years of making plans and dreaming about what a Bible translation could look like for their people, the oral translation work finally got going in early 2018.

When the Genesis booklet was distributed, one woman shared,

“I didn’t know that I would have a booklet like this in my hands one day; but God’s work is great.”

One of the pastors said,

“I am so happy because I have long wanted this booklet. Now the book of Genesis has been published and it is here in our hands. What made me happy above all is that it is in our language, Thimbukushu.”

On a separate occassion, a man said,

“It’s like we’ve been in bondage, because in our churches we’re taught to use the Tswana language and other different languages; to not use our own language. But now, we have learnt that, even our own language, God hears it and God speaks it!”

As of 2023, two phases of translation have been successfully completed. In late 2022 a fruitful Scripture Engagement workshop took place, during which copies of the book of Genesis were distributed and enthusiastically welcomed by the community. 

This project is now being managed by the Bible Society.