Do you have any tips, ideas, or advice? We need help!
We are missionaries in Boise, ID, and we are working to start a Swahili/French Branch for the refugees that are here from Africa. We have about 6 recent converts, and want to help them get started with their family history. Most of them don't speak English, so it is difficult for them to do family history on their own (family search doesn't change into Swahili). We are not entirely sure how to find their family records, since most of the records from Africa are oral. We know there are some records, but we are just looking for tips and for help on how to do this. We aren't sure how to proceed, or how to do it efficiently.
Answers
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Here is the link to the FamilySearch Wiki for Africa. https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Africa. We hope that will get you started. We also hope that the volunteers in this group, who know way more, will give you tips. PaulaAnn
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Oral genealogies are tough, and harder still in a native tongue, so kudos to you for taking this on.
Without more info on your experience and progress in other avenues, this reply may not be useful.
Presumably, you have located the Genealogies section of the website at https://www.familysearch.org/search/genealogies
And then, within that, you have probably found the Oral Genealogies section; the available trees (generated by computer based on audio files) at
And the OG search page at
If that is unsuccessful…
Research is at best a slow climb in general, and with oral histories only now surfacing at a steady rate, it could be some time before the oral library becomes substantial enough. Obviously this is disappointing for the moment, but the landscape is changing so not a permanent obstacle to progress.
Perhaps a way to “jump start” your progress, would be to look at the country’s (Kenya’s) history; or the relevant countries to which they may have migrated.
There’s some information held by the colonising countries; often more than you’d expect.
There are also missionary and religious records which could provide some inroads.
Barring that, a professional researcher who can speak the language is your only bet if time is of essence. Otherwise, patience and putting as much info from them into the database will be the best steps. Obviously translation is important but Google translate is also better than ever (even has good results for Afrikaans) and iPhones have a conversational translation app available now; I’m sure Androids have similar.
Hopefully that’s what you were looking for and have found some of this useful. Since you’re in the US, you have FS directly on hand to help - maybe someone at a centre would have already tried this, and could work with you.
lots of luck (and determination!)
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I'm in Buffalo, NY and we have an African group in our ward. Some members have expressed interest in discovering their family and I am just beginning to work on helping them. We have members that speak English, French, and Swahili and could probably offer in-language help.
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Thank you, everyone, for offering tips!! PaulaAnn
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A search for Swahili in the Wiki brought up several separate items that might be helpful. I suggest you sign into familysearch.org org first. The link may require copy/paste
- Kenya Languages
- 2.8 million Swahili Word List - 101languages Useful Swahili phrases - Omniglot Swahili Phrase list - WikiTravel Benjamin, Martin. Swahili phrasebook &
- 6 KB (463 words) - 09:21, 1 May 2023
- Democratic Republic of the Congo Languages (section Swahili)
- Genealogical Word List Swahili Language Resources Swahili Alphabet, Pronunciation Swahili language resources Swahili language overview Swahili basics and grammar
- 19 KB (1,921 words) - 17:31, 29 November 2022
- Tanzania Languages
- the population. Swahili Useful Swahili phrases (Omniglot) Swahili Phrase Book (Wikivoyage) Swahili sayings (Wikipedia) Swahili Swahili Phonology (Wikipedia)
- 2 KB (142 words) - 09:46, 3 May 2023
- Uganda Languages
- and Joan Russell. Swahili dictionary. London: Teach Yourself, 2003. Available at: WorldCat. Kasahorow. Modern Swahili dictionary : Swahili-English, English-Swahili
- 5 KB (368 words) - 14:30, 4 May 2023
- Rwanda Languages
- are: Kinyarwanda English French Swahili French Genealogical Word List Useful phrases in Kinyarwanda - Omniglot Useful Swahili phrases - Omniglot Useful French
- 4 KB (283 words) - 15:38, 2 May 2023
- Comoros Languages
- speakers predominantly reside in the islands of Mayotte and Moheli Swahili Historically, Swahili served as the common language of the Comoros, used for trade
- 7 KB (746 words) - 09:28, 1 December 2022
- Tanzania History
- does not have an official language, although the national language is Swahili. Swahili is used in parliamentary debate, in the lower courts, and as a medium
- 3 KB (431 words) - 12:43, 22 October 2020
- Uganda Naming Customs
- Behind the Name: Ganda Given Names Behind the Name: Swahili Submitted Surnames Behind the Name: Swahili Given Names Most Common Last Names In Uganda Popular
- 1 KB (59 words) - 15:56, 15 August 2023
- Kenya Naming Customs
- Behind the Name: Luo Given Names Behind the Name: Swahili Submitted Surnames Behind the Name: Swahili Given Names Category:Kenyan names Most Common Last
- 3 KB (386 words) - 15:45, 15 August 2023
- Uganda Genealogy
- the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire). The official languages are Swahili and English. Genealogy records are kept on the state level in Uganda. Uganda
- 2 KB (129 words) - 17:00, 15 August 2022
- Tanzania Genealogy
- were formerly governed by Portugal and Germany. The official languages are Swahili and English. Genealogy records are kept on the region level in Tanzania
- 3 KB (160 words) - 09:07, 26 April 2023
- Rwanda Naming Customs
- Rwanda Naming Customs Behind the Name: Swahili Submitted Surnames Behind the Name: Swahili Given Names Most Common Last Names In Rwanda Rwandan last names
- 2 KB (72 words) - 16:13, 15 August 2023
- Tanzania Emigration and Immigration
- per cent of the Arab-Swahili population of Zanzibar was enslaved. Figures record the exporting of 718,000 slaves from the Swahili coast during the 19th
- 6 KB (573 words) - 10:06, 23 August 2023
- Somalia Naming Customs
- Behind the Name: Arabic Given Names Behind the Name: Swahili Submitted Surnames Behind the Name: Swahili Given Names "Somali name" in Wikipedia (extensive
- 4 KB (398 words) - 15:43, 15 August 2023
- Democratic Republic of the Congo Naming Customs
- Name: Central African Given Names Behind the Name: Swahili Submitted Surnames Behind the Name: Swahili Given Names Congolese Last Names in Alphabetical Order
- 6 KB (822 words) - 15:36, 15 August 2023
- Madagascar Languages
- Minority Languages are: Maore Comorian - also called Comorian Comores Swahili Komoro Comoro Shimaore - has two dialects, Maore, and Shindzwani/Shindzuani
- 4 KB (216 words) - 10:33, 1 May 2023
- Uganda History
- hundreds of thousands of casualties. The official languages are English and Swahili, although any other language may be used as a medium of instruction in schools
- 3 KB (398 words) - 12:49, 22 October 2020
- Mozambique History
- half the population. Common native languages include Makhuwa, Sena, and Swahili. The country's population of around 29 million is composed overwhelmingly
- 3 KB (379 words) - 11:30, 22 October 2020
- Kenya Colonial Records
- was renamed the Republic of Kenya. The official languages are English and Swahili. To learn about colonial Kenya, you may want to read some of the following
- 6 KB (210 words) - 17:53, 3 May 2023
- Mozambique Languages
- 5 Yao 374,426 2.3 Makonde 371,111 2.3 Koti 102,393 0.6 Mwani 29,980 0.2 Swahili 21,070 0.1 Swazi 7,742 0.05 Zulu 3,529 0.02 Total 16,135,403 100
- 6 KB (315 words) - 17:09, 1 August 2023
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https://tinyurl.com/54haabj5 another wiki search for swahili french genealogy brough up interesting ittems
- Rwanda Languages
- English French Swahili French Genealogical Word List Useful phrases in Kinyarwanda - Omniglot Useful Swahili phrases - Omniglot Useful French phrases -
- 4 KB (283 words) - 15:38, 2 May 2023
- Comoros Languages
- Comoros Genealogy Dictionary English - Maore Comorian at Glosbe French French Handwriting French Letter Writing Guide France Languages French to English
- 7 KB (746 words) - 09:28, 1 December 2022
- Democratic Republic of the Congo Languages (section Swahili)
- records, see: French Genealogical Word List Swahili Language Resources Swahili Alphabet, Pronunciation Swahili language resources Swahili language overview
- 19 KB (1,921 words) - 17:31, 29 November 2022
- Madagascar Languages
- Official languages are Malagasy and French. Minority Languages are: Maore Comorian - also called Comorian Comores Swahili Komoro Comoro Shimaore - has two
- 4 KB (216 words) - 10:33, 1 May 2023
- Rwanda Naming Customs
- Rwanda Naming Customs Behind the Name: Swahili Submitted Surnames Behind the Name: Swahili Given Names Most Common Last Names In Rwanda Rwandan last names
- 2 KB (72 words) - 16:13, 15 August 2023
- Democratic Republic of the Congo Naming Customs
- Name: Central African Given Names Behind the Name: Swahili Submitted Surnames Behind the Name: Swahili Given Names Congolese Last Names in Alphabetical Order
- 6 KB (822 words) - 15:36, 15 August 2023
- Mayotte Languages
- Shimaore is spoken elsewhere. French French Genealogical Word List Useful French phrases (Omniglot) Arabic Arabic Genealogical Word List
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