Bryar, tell us a bit about yourself and your background.

I’m Bryar Ghafoor. I’m 21 year old and I’m from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. I’m studying at the College of Nursing in the University of Sulaymaniyah. Alongside being a nurse, I spend my time developing my knowledge in different areas of IT like programming and website and application development

How did you learn that Alison was looking for translators for its coronavirus course?

I was actually searching for free online courses and I found Alison through Google. I took the Physical Examination course because it related to my profession and then when the coronavirus course came up, I joined and completed the course. I realised it needed volunteers for translating so I volunteered for the coronavirus course translation into Kurdish with a group in college. 

Why did you offer to translate our coronavirus course?

One of the motivations behind my volunteering is my Islamic background. Allah motivates us to do good work in His cause and He will reward us. “But whatever thing you spend [in His cause] – He will compensate it; and He is the best of providers.” (Quran 34:39) What does good work look like? Must many people read what you have translated? The course may protect many people but “whoever saves one – it is as if he had saved mankind entirely.” (Quran 5:32) Another motivation is protecting my family, friends and all human beings – it’s a big achievement.

Why is it important that everyone has access to important information on coronavirus?

This information is very important as it’s related to human lives. We always need new developments to make human life better. We are sharing information with the public to give them an idea about protection methods and how the virus is transferred from one person to another. This will decrease the virus infection rate and mortality rate. Basically it’s saving a lot of lives. 

 

Tell us a little about your method when translating.

Our team of nine students from college decided to translate this course and we worked as a team to translate it into Kurdish. 

Why is free learning so important and why is it important to translate it into many languages?

Not everyone can access paid courses. Especially for something like coronavirus, which is related to human lives, information should be public and free. Translating into many languages gives access to the many people who don’t speak English. 

Have you been learning through Alison during the pandemic? How has the lockdown been for you?

I spent my time learning new skills and Alison has been a good source to start. The coronavirus course itself gave me more knowledge about this virus and also increased my translating skills.

What would you say to people who might be interested in translating for Alison?

If you think your translation will be useful then why not start now? Go ahead.

If you’d like to play your part in overcoming the coronavirus pandemic by helping Alison give people access to the information necessary to keep themselves and their loved ones safe, please get in touch.

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