We at Tamarind Language Services (TLS) join language professionals in celebrating the International Translation Day (ITD) on 30 September 2020. Kudos to the versatile and buoyant language professionals’ fraternity!  Language professionals play an essential role in uniting nations and cultures; simplifying dialogue as well as facilitating the participation of participants in varying engagements. Language professionals play an integral role in breaking down language barriers.

This year’s ITD theme, ‘Finding the words for a world in crisis’, presents an opportunity to focus on words, the currency of language professionals, to make the most of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions.

Social and physical distancing has not meant disconnecting from clients. In adapting the COVID-19 restrictions to ensure business continuity, Tamarind Language Services did some thinking outside the box and modified its simultaneous interpretation services into hybrid and virtual simultaneous interpretation services – facilitating its clientele’s virtual communication. This innovation has continued to enable clients from different industries to conduct business conveniently and, above all, cost-effectively with decision-makers and stakeholders in different counties and at short notice. Our services make virtual meetings easy by providing interpretation into Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, and many more languages.

In remaining resilient amid the change and disruption presented by the pandemic, Tamarind Language Services continues to set in motion new trends in the language services industry, not only in Kenya but in East Africa. As we look forward to the next normal, we remain optimistic – the post-COVID prospects are bright. In finding the words for a world in crisis, we at TLS live by and echo the words of Melody Beattie, “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more.”

We wish all language professionals a wonderful ITD!