Projects
ANLoc Project
ICT is necessarily adapted to human languages in order to enable its use by non-specialists. For historic and economic reasons, however, certain languages dominate in this role, regardless of where ICT is used. So, when technology is used where the language and culture are different, it will exert an unintentional influence on the latter that could be negative.
Fonts
Without fonts in African languages we cannot see our written work in the digital age.
This sub-project will create tools to measure the African coverage of a font, document these so that others can provide full coverage fonts. It will focus on producing full coverage and choice by ensuring that 10 Latin fonts are fully African. Documents that outline future optimisation will also be produced.
Keyboards
Without a keyboard we cannot capture information. The keyboard sub-project will create keyboard layouts based on language clusters so that all African languages can be typed on a computer. They will also ensure that all of these are either integrated into software or easily downloadable.
Language and ICT Policy
This sub-project will review the current state of language and ICT policy and examine how each deal with the other. Based on these findings the sub-project will work at informing policy makers around the issues of localisation and local language ICTs.
Locales
Afrigen is a part of a greater Localization effort in Africa called ANLoc, the African Network for Localization. In a nutshell, the goal of Afrigen is to create locales for 100 African languages within 12 months time. Today, only 36 of Africa's 2024 languages have their own locales.
Why a Locale?
Localisation Tools
In order to localise software user interfaces effectively you need good tools. These are tools that help translators manage their work, reuse old work, choose the correct terminology and prevent common errors. This project will enhance and expand the abilities of various localisation tools.
Localise software
While all of these sub-projects are important to enable African languages, build good tools, etc. – unless we actually localise we are not able to showcase the results of the project's work.
The Localise Software sub-project is looking at localising existing open source projects into different African languages.
Network activities
the project will run a number of workshops that will bring together participants in the Pan African Localisation Network to allow them to share ideas, demonstrate results and build a stronger network of partners. Included in this are the virtual network components such as a website for the dissemination of results from this network.
Paramètres régionaux
Afrigen fait partie d'un plus grand project de localisation en Afrique, appelé (African Network for Localization / le Réseau africain pour la localisation). En un mot, l'objectif de Afrigen est de créer des paramètres régionaux (en anglais: locale) pour 100 langues africaines dans un délai de 12 mois.
Spell checkers
Spelling is both a quality issue for localisation but also a vitality issue for languages. Without a good spell checker users a faced with most of their text underlined in red, or a spell checker that has such a low success rate that it doesn't promote the value of the language.
This sub-project looks at building spell checkers and diacritic correctors that address some large languages in Africa but that create tools and implementations that can be reused by other African's in related languages.
Terminology
when localising software it is important to use the correct term consistently. With African languages often these terms are new, not widely used or disputed. This sub-project will create a 2 500 word ICT term list for use in localisation. It will also enhance terminology management software to make it easier to collaboratively produce terminology in any field.
Training
This sub-project addresses the need for local localisation skills. It will create modules that cover local localisation needs within a course the covers the complete localisation process. Four partners in the various regions of Africa will develop this material and run the course.
