SIL International Media Release
SIL Partners Win Prizes for Translating AIDS Information
DALLAS, TX (October 26, 2004) Madame Simone Gbagbo, Côte d’Ivoire’s first lady, recently presented top prizes to three Ivoirian men involved in literacy and translation work with SIL partner organizations. The prizes were awarded in a competition to translate material on AIDS into local languages. Two first prizes were given to Mr. Gahossou Dao and Mr. Carlos Goprou, and second prize to Mr. Paul Bozon.
Mr. Dao has served with the Jula language literacy team for five years. He is currently working in Abidjan, the country’s economic capital, setting up literacy classes and teacher training workshops.
Mr. Goprou, a translator working with a local SIL partner organization, also received a first place award for translating the material into his own language, Bété.
Mr. Paul Bozon was awarded second prize for his booklet translation in the Wobé language. Mr. Bozon is currently involved in translation in partnership with SIL.
The competition was created by an Ivoirian humanitarian network (REPMASCI), which sent out invitations for translations of AIDS prevention information into eighteen languages spoken in the coastal country.
According to UNAIDS, Côte d’Ivoire is the country most severely affected by HIV/AIDS in West Africa, due to poverty, cultural practices, migration, and inadequate access to information.