03/03/2025
BLOOM APP "LUKSAVE" LAUNCHING
Background:
There are over 150 Sign Languages in the world. BLOOM has made it possible to record and embed sign language videos alongside images and text. The PNG Deaf Association, an organization for the Deaf community that is purely lead and managed by Deaf people alone, are proud to announce that they have created the signs themselves and successfully launched a 26 titled reading books in Papua New Guinea Sign Language for Deaf children in the country on the 27th Thursday of February 2025 at PNG Bible Translation Association, Port Moresby
The journey started in 2022 when SIL - Education for Life hosted a workshop for PNG Deaf Association and Callan Services. During this workshop the participants, who were either deaf or blind, produced eBooks for deaf and blind children in PNG. Noah Agino was also present in that workshop and was able to learn how to produce eBooks with PNG Sign Language with SIL's Bloom software.
After the workshop, Noah and many others from the PNG Deaf Association, have found that the current PNG Sign Language Dictionary and the Melanesian Sign Language book was a bit complex for the deaf children due to unclear signs and instructions. As a result, Noah continued to work with the SIL Global Sign Language Team in producing more eBooks with PNG Sign Language.
The Manager for SIL – Education for Life team, Mr. Koen, travelled to Port Moresby for the launching. In addition, Mr. Koen helped to make the books more accessible for the deaf, by creating an app from the ebooks that were produced. The app is called "Luksave" and can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store.
In Tok Pisin the word "Luksave" means: 'gaining knowledge by watching'.
SIL and the PNG Deaf Association are eager to continue to work together to make more resources available for deaf children in PNG.
You can log onto the website: https://bloomlibrary.org/sign-language or go to www.mytalkingbooks.org/apps to download the Luksave app, or scan the QR code.
These books can now be enjoyed by both hearing and deaf children, teachers and the deaf community and their families.
The team leader, Noah Agino, appreciated and thanked Wycliffe Foundation for funding the project and to SIL’s Global Sign Language Team for providing partnership and collaboration in the development of this Bloom Book.
The team from right to left:
Front row:
Lucia Rifu – Deaf Female – Signer
Jana Lollis – Deaf Female – American SIL Global Sign Language Team (GSLT)/Multilingual Deaf Education (MLDE) Specialist.
Nickson Tia – Deaf Male – Signer
Back row:
Rodney Sidion – Photographer/Sign Inspector
Wilhem Ben Raga – Deaf Male – Video editor
Noah Agino – Author/Translator/Photographer
Koen – PNG SIL Education for Life
Kristy Wedel – Language Surveyor – SIL-PNG/GSLT Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea
The PNG Deaf Association appreciates the presence of the Department of Education and Community Development and Religion.
We look forward to working in collaboration and partnership.
We also appeal to all other Government Departments, NGOs, other individuals and Organizations to Talk directly to us regarding anything about the Deaf in the country.
"NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US"
Story by Rose Launch -
