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Case Study: Creating a Kunama Language Translator with Softvoya
The Challenge
Most people take translation apps for granted. With a tap, you can move between English, Spanish, French, and even less common languages. But what happens when a language doesn’t exist in any database — not even Google Translate?
That was the challenge with Kunama, a rare language spoken in parts of East Africa. Our client needed a way to translate Kunama to English, but no existing platform offered support. The data simply didn’t exist, which meant we had to start from scratch.
That was the challenge with Kunama, a rare language spoken in parts of East Africa. Our client needed a way to translate Kunama to English, but no existing platform offered support. The data simply didn’t exist, which meant we had to start from scratch.
Our Approach
At Softvoya, every project begins with discovery. For this one, discovery was everything.
We conducted deep research into the Kunama language, collecting available resources, studying its structure, and identifying the data gaps. From there, our team prepared a technical solution for training a large language model (LLM) capable of handling the translation process.
We conducted deep research into the Kunama language, collecting available resources, studying its structure, and identifying the data gaps. From there, our team prepared a technical solution for training a large language model (LLM) capable of handling the translation process.
Key steps included:
Language research:
Analyzing available Kunama resources and grammar structures
Technical mapping:
Defining how an LLM could be trained to process translations
Feasibility planning:
Creating a roadmap for data collection and model training
The Solution
Building a mobile app for real-time translation
Preserving and making a rare language more accessible to the world
Creating one of the first digital resources for the Kunama language
While the full project has not yet moved into development, the discovery phase resulted in a clear technical solution: a plan to train an LLM model tailored specifically for Kunama-to-English translation.
This solution lays the groundwork for:
Why It Matters
This case shows what’s possible when technology meets cultural preservation. The Kunama language has never been supported in mainstream translation platforms, but with the right approach, we’re one step closer to changing that.
For our client, this discovery phase wasn’t just a technical exercise—it was the beginning of a groundbreaking project that could open doors for communication, connection, and inclusion.
For our client, this discovery phase wasn’t just a technical exercise—it was the beginning of a groundbreaking project that could open doors for communication, connection, and inclusion.
