Thank you for being one in a hundred thousand TWB community members!
This year, we celebrated the milestone of 100,000 members. Together with CLEAR Global, we are making a bigger impact than ever.
TWB is a global network of language volunteers supporting others. Community members translate and localize information for people who have limited resources or digital channels in their languages. The TWB community is at the heart of CLEAR Global. Our nonprofit helps people get vital information and be heard, whatever language they speak.
This holiday season, we want to share personal stories of the real-life impact our work makes.
Whether you need to speak to a doctor, learn how to secure your home or report abuse, information in the right language can make a life-changing difference.
The TWB community is helping create trusted support channels and make people’s voices heard. Hear from of some of our community members who translate, subtitle, and record voiceovers to reach marginalized communities in all corners of the world.
Together, we respond to urgent global challenges:
- We’re making sure more women and girls know their rights. So we can all enjoy the same opportunities and get answers in our language on the internet.
- We’re helping migrants and refugees get accurate safety information fast.
- We’re connecting people with reliable resources they can undersotand. So the most affected communities can prepare for and protect themselves from flooding, drought, and disaster.
- Our conversational chatbots help more people stay informed and safe from COVID-19 and Ebola.
- Our multilingual communications solutions are powered by the community’s translations and CLEAR Global’s innovative language technology.
Some of our projects around the world
With each document you translate, every subtitle you read, and word you revise, you are helping reach more people. Thank you for being part of the solution. Follow our community’s stories of impact and support our campaign to start more conversations, in more languages.
Salwa’s testimonial – translation provides opportunities
“It was my first time volunteering online, but one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had. I discovered that even when you’re home, you can still help others get vital information. This encouraged me to work daily on those tasks.
I have chatted with other community members – who are my e-friends now. They inspired me with all the work they do while they were going through hard times. I found many people who supported me and encouraged me to show the world what I can do. For me, this was an opportunity to work in different fields and help as much as possible.
I get to help provide language services for different causes – especially education and children. It’s more than enough to make me want to continue to volunteer with TWB. I know the work I do will help to enhance someone’s knowledge or help them get needed information. This makes it worth the time… even after a long working day.
Over the last two years, I’ve seen the TWB Community grow fast. It is amazing that you have reached 100,000 volunteers. And your way of coping with this growth was great as well. I am sure you will always find the support you need from community members. I can see TWB will keep evolving, flourishing, and expanding its capacities and resources to accomplish its mission in the best possible way. And I cannot wait to be part of your next stop on this long journey.”
– Salwa, TWB community member
Salwa is a French teacher who has donated 650,404 words in Arabic and French. She has worked with TWB and CLEAR Global on projects supporting health and education for American Red Cross, Concern Worldwide, Save the Children, the H2H Network’s COVID-19 response, and the World Health Organization (WHO), among others. Her skills include translation, revision, subtitling, monolingual editing, desktop publishing (DTP), voiceover, and interpretation.
Tien helps Vietnamese migrants understand vital advice
“I was inspired by the fact that more Vietnamese migrants will be able to understand the information sent to them. I feel happy that more Vietnamese volunteers are joining the TWB Community. And I think CLEAR Global and TWB Community will develop strongly in the future.”
– Tien, TWB community member
Tien has long been a committed volunteer for TWB who has donated 82,8553 words to good causes. He has translated and revised with CLEAR Global, COVID-19 task forces, Partners In Health, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and more.
Hiba celebrates team effort in rapid crisis response
Hiba says, “I first discovered TWB at a time when I wanted to do more – to have a bigger meaning than my work, my circle, and me. I wanted to actually have an impact on people’s lives. And TWB just felt like the right place. Joining the community has been one of the best things I did. It gave me this sense that yes, I am doing something that matters. Something that – I hope – makes a positive change.
Plus, I’m impressed by the fact that TWB acts really quick to provide resources and linguistic help whenever a crisis arises, and in just less than three years, as you know, we have had COVID-19, the Ukraine crisis, and more. TWB works really hard to keep up with the language needs that arise. This takes me to the community. After all, this is not the work of one person, but hundreds of people – even thousands. The community now has 100,000 members – who decide to volunteer their time and effort, even on a daily basis, to help other people. This actually gives one hope about the future, no matter how grim the picture looks.”
– Hiba, TWB community member
Hiba has donated 1,294,561 words in English and Arabic. She has translated and revised projects for health, migration, and equality projects to help people get vital information with CLEAR Global, CARE International, IFRC, Oxfam, and other nonprofits.
Usman meets chatbot users in northeast Nigeria
“We have communications solutions at our fingertips. One Wednesday afternoon after office hours, I got a glimpse into the impact of one of our language solutions. I was at a local coffee shop when I heard a group of young people discussing the chatbot “Manhajar Shehu.” This is what we used to call it during our programs on the local radio’s live show. I keenly listened to their conversation as they debated some of the ways to get vaccinated and some traditional herbs that they had heard cured COVID-19. They had heard so many myths, they didn’t know what to believe. One of them used the chatbot in Hausa and they got reliable answers in seconds as he introduced his friends to Shehu.
Shehu is CLEAR Global’s AI chatbot which helps people get reliable answers to their questions about COVID-19 in Hausa and Kanuri. Some of them were amazed at how the bot responded promptly and accurately in their local language. I proudly told them I was part of the team that built the bot, which sparked a load of questions. It is of great personal satisfaction to me knowing that people are not only using the bot out of fun, but they’re also glad and amazed with the information they receive from the bot. We are making a great positive impact on the lives of people in North-Eastern Nigeria and Maiduguri to be specific.”
– Usman, from CLEAR Global
Our chatbots have exchanged over 100,000 conversations. One conversation can make a big impact, especially if it can save a life. We can bring more voices into global conversations. With translations, tools, and resources like these, we are helping people who face the most difficult situations. Even with the most innovative language technology solutions, the goal is to connect with a human.
Let’s reach more people – “meet me in my language.”
Read more community impact stories in our blogs:
Community translation supports urgent COVID-19 response
In 2020, our community came together to translate critical public-facing content, so that more people could understand it and protect themselves. We translated millions of words into over 100 languages. Read about our community volunteers, French speaker Barbara Pissane, and Spanish speaker Maria Paula Gorgone.
Our Haitian Creole volunteers provide a lifeline in Haiti
Jean has contributed 170,000 words for projects that help people understand their rights, look after their well-being, and get their needs met – from wheelchair provision to COVID-19 vaccine FAQs for children. Read about how Jean translates to help his local community get emergency assistance following the 2021 earthquake near his home in Haiti.
Meet migrants and refugees in their language
Arabic speakers Lilav and Christina spotlight refugee experiences of seeking refuge and needing answers in the face of conflict. Lilav dedicates her time to advocating human rights and languages. Christina is a translator and revisor who believes in globalization and diversity.
We are always amazed by our community’s support and would love for you to get involved.
You can make a difference. “Meet me in my language.”
- Spread awareness #MeetMeInMyLanguage
- Tell your friends you’re supporting the #MeetMeInMyLanguage campaign
- Tag us on Facebook and LinkedIn @TranslatorswithoutBorders, Instagram @TranslatorsWB, and Twitter @CLEARGlobalorg
- Volunteer
- Share your language skills for good
- Sign up: kato.translatorswb.org
- Fundraise or donate today
- On Just Giving
- Through clearglobal.org/donate