Swahili

Songs for Saplings in Swahili

For over 20 years, Songs for Saplings has been teaching children the great truths of the Bible through music. We have produced 6 albums in over 10 languages. The music is scripture set to music along foundational Christian teachings, such as songs about the Trinity, our sinful condition without Christ, and the life-changing news of the Gospel.

Our music is sung and listened to by hundreds of thousands of children around the world—in schools, churches, missions, and homes. All of our music is freely available at music.songsforsaplings.com or streamed on all major music platforms, including Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon, and Apple Music.

Our current project is to record three albums in Swahili, and we need your help!
Please donate to help us continue this great work.

Why Swahili?

Swahili is the most widely spoken African language, current estimates are that at least 60 million people speak it. We have received requests from churches, schools, and missionaries in Swahili-speaking countries who have shared with us their lack of resources to teach their children the Gospel in their own language.

The few resources they have are mainly written materials designed for adults, which are not as effective in Africa’s oral cultures, where children learn primarily through stories and songs. It is our mission to provide them with high-quality resources in a language they can understand and in a format (music) that resonates with them.

Part of our team in Eldoret, Kenya where we will be recording. These are teachers and staff at Open Arms International Children’s Home and Academy. Open Arms is hosting us in Kenya, and many of their children will be recorded by Dana this winter.

What have we done already?

For the past three years, Songs for Saplings has been collaborating with multiple organizations in Swahili-speaking regions to build a team of musicians, translators, and singers. The music has been translated and a group of over 30 Kenyans has been preparing for the upcoming recording sessions. They are rehearsing and are getting ready for Dana to visit and start recording this winter.

The children at Open Arms have been busy learning and practicing the songs to prepare for our recording sessions.

What’s happening next?

Dana and James Dirksen will be traveling to Kenya in December (between Thanksgiving and Christmas) when children in Kenya are out of school. They will spend three weeks recording the first three albums with native Swahili speakers. Afterward, Dana will return home to complete the editing and engineering before releasing the music to the world for free!

Dana brings a portable recording studio with her when she records, and she has released over 30 albums so far in over 10 languages. After recording, Dana also does all the mixing, editing, and other engineering before releasing the music.

We need your support!

Can you make a one-time donation to help us complete this critical stage of the project? Songs for Saplings is a registered 501(c)(3) organization in the US, so all donations are tax-deductible. 

You can donate online at songsforsaplings.com/donate 

Send donations by mail to:
Songs for Saplings
17645 NW Sue Ct
Beaverton, OR 97006

Or simply scan this QR
code with your phone:

We need your prayers.

Please keep us in your prayers for the following:

• Pray for Dana and James as they travel to Kenya and spend almost a month there recording the songs and meeting with ministry partners.
• Pray that we can raise the funds for this important work.
• Pray for the health and safety of all the singers we will be recording and for peace in Kenya.
• Most importantly, please pray for the hundreds of thousands of kids who will receive this great gift of the Gospel in song and in their language. Ask God to prepare their minds to hear the great truths they are going to learn, and for the Holy Spirit to deeply root these songs into their hearts!

____

Songs for Saplings | Registered 501(c)(3) | EIN: 47-3108962

17645 NW Sue Ct, Beaverton, OR 97006