Happy holidays!
Welcome to the last edition of Tamarinfo this year. In this issue, you will read about our special assignment at the 1st Global Sustainable Blue Economy Conference held in November at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi, and our increased regional projects. We focus on the rising importance of the Chinese language in Kenya, and highlight some news with Tamarind Translations featuring in both electronic and print media. Finally, you will have a peek into some of our company activities like the International Translators day, and our wellness day and teambuilding day in the wild. Enjoy!

Special Focus

Welcoming the world to Nairobi: Tamarind Translations at the Blue Economy Conference!
Tamarind Translations was selected as the official language services provider at the 1st Sustainable Blue Economy Conference, 26th – 28th November 2018, in Nairobi, Kenya. We provided English – French translations and interpretation during the three day international conference.

The conference was hosted by the Kenyan government and partners, together with co-hosts Canada and Japan, inviting the world to Nairobi for the first global conference on the sustainable blue economy. The event was one of the biggest ever held on Kenyan soil with over 17,000 delegates registered from around the world meeting to learn how to build a blue economy that:

harnesses the potential of our oceans, seas, lakes and rivers to improve the lives of all, particularly people in developing states, with emphasis on women, youth and indigenous peoples.
leverages the latest innovations, scientific advances and best practices to build prosperity while conserving our waters for future generations.
Kenya’s President, Uhuru Kenyatta together with other world leaders and top government officials attended the event and captured concrete commitments and practical actions that will be taken to help the world transition to the blue economy.
With a team of 50 language experts we were bridged the language barrier at this global meeting.

Tamarind Translations in the News
Following the buzz of activity and publicity surrounding the Blue economy conference, the role of Tamarind Translations did not go unnoticed by the media. We were featured in an article in the Kenyan daily, the Standard. The article highlighted the magnitude of the conference, and Tamarind’s massive team serving the 17000 delegates.

The KTN News business segment interviewed the founder and owner of Tamarind Translations, Britt-Marie Seex, who provided background information about our company and the Managing Director, Theophan Marube, spoke about our team’s commitment to delivering quality at this international event.

Tamarind Translations at the Kenya- China Forum
Earlier in the year, Tamarind Translations participated in the First Kenya-China Forum held in Nairobi and organized by the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) and The Kenya Chinese Chamber of Commerce (KCCC).

The forum aimed to create a platform for people-to-people exchanges between China and Kenya. It also sought to promote cooperation and development between China and Kenya and offer Kenyan and Chinese businesses common development opportunities.

Over 400 Chinese companies operate today in Kenya. Tamarind Translations provides translation and interpretation services from Chinese to English and vice versa. We support the increased commercial ties between Kenyan and Chinese companies by facilitating efficient communication.

International Translators Day 2018
In September, Tamarind Translations hosted a lively International Translation Day Open House and cocktail for Kenyan translators and business partners. Over 70 participants including clients and students from the Center for Translation and Interpretation at the University of Nairobi participated in the open-house event.

The Tamarind team showcased the translation, interpretation and translation technologies services provided by the company.  A local interpreter, Mr. E. Opon, gave a live demonstration of how simultaneous interpretation works and a talk on the evolution of interpretation as profession, especially after the formation of the League of Nations in 1948.

During the cocktail in the evening, Dr. Steve Kamau from Kenyatta University gave a keynote speech on the importance of localization in Africa, especially to international blue chip companies seeking to position themselves in the local markets. Our managing director, Theophan Marube assured clients of Tamarind Translations’ continued commitment to providing professional services after ten years of operation on the African market. The colorful and fun-filled event ended with a toast to the now UN-recognized International Translation Day celebrated globally on 30 September.

From Rubavu to Bujumbura, Tamarind Translations gets a regional footprint.
Towards the end of the year Tamarind Translations worked in the Great Lakes Region of East Africa. The first meeting was held at Rubavu district in Rwanda. The picturesque Lake Kivu Serena Hotel was the venue, located on sandy beaches on Lake Kivu against the backdrop of the active Virunga volcanoes in Rwanda. We then went with the same team to Bujumbura, Burundi. At both locations we provided French interpretation and rapporteur services. It was an enriching experience, and we showcased that we bridge the language barrier, despite the various cultural differences throughout the region.

Tamarind Translations closes for the festive season on Friday 21 December 2018, and reopens on Wednesday 3rd January 2018