"Yidgha" Language

Preservation Program

Implementation Partner Local Partner

Project Presentation

Supporting Partners

PPC College Parabeg

Government High School Parabeg

Pamir Degree College Garam Chashma

Funded by

Yidgha Cultural & Development Organization ( YCDO) is a civil society initiatives aimed to

explore opportunities in culture preservation and community welfare. The organization engages

the community from the grass root level and cooperates with rural development institution both

of the government and international donors to implement project and programs in different key

sectors like education, health, culture, language promotions, communications and

infrastructure.

“Yidgha” is an indigenous language listed in UNESCO as the most endangered language. Its

speaker now been numbered in thousand and settled in a remote a valley in Chitral. The

language was speedily disappearing and the same was the culture. The youth of the community

realized the threat to their mother tongue and in 2010 they came together and decided to take

initiative to preserve their language. That was the moment the community decided to form an

organization for cultural and social welfare of the aboriginal Yidgha Community.

In 2013, Forum for Language Initiative (FLI), Islamabad entered into partnership with YCDO

to preserve Yidgha Language. In 2015, USAID Funded a one year program which aims to

publish its first dictionary and folk stories book. Two full time paid researchers from Yidgha

Community now been employed for the said program and this project will be completed in 2016.

.

About YCDO

FLI InterventionForum for Language Initiative (FLI) is an Islamabad based organization helping the

indigenous communities in Pakistan to document and preserve their local languages.

In 2015, FLI launched a one year project to do the basic work in preservation of Yidgha

Language. This project is funded by USAID through Small Grants & Ambassador's Fund

Program.

Following are the major set for the project.

1)To list 3500 words.

2)To outline Yidgha Alphabets, vowels, consonants, verbs etc.

3)To develop Yidgha Composing Software (FLI) to Publish Yidgha Alphabets book.

4)To record, write and publish Folktales book including 10 selected stories.

Following is the major progress so far made from the project commencement in July 2015 to date;

● 5 Semantic Domain Workshops held from August 2015 to November 2015. That includes Domain 1, 2, 3, 4

& 4C in Village Roi, Oghoti and High School Parabeg. 2000 words has been listed as the outcome of these

workshops.

● 11 folktales has been recorded, written and translated.

● FLI has developed a software “We Say” a Yidgha Composer . This is a complete composing software

which has been the specifically designed for Yidgha language and include its specific alphabets.

● The software now in use and has been practiced by the Yidgha writers and additionally 2000 Yidgha

language words have been listed in the composing software.

●5-days basic orthography workshop held in Government High School Parabeg. The workshop participants

were linguists, teacher, professionals, Yidgha community speakers and students. The discussion outlined

Yidgha Alphabets, Vowels, Consonants, Verbs and Compound Words.

●Two days writers workshop held in Boson Roi in collaboration with Pamir Degree College. The participants

practiced Yidgha Writing System developed in the project.

Progress

Next in Programs

1.Yidgha Language Committee Meeting to held in November 2015. Where the developed

writing standard will be presented to the community elders and educated members to get

community consents for Yidgha Publications.

2.Another writer workshop will be organized in December 2015.

3.Domain 6 workshop will be organized in December 2015.

4.Edited re-narration and recording of folktales will be conducted in December 2015.

5. The Folktales Book, Alphabets Book and words list shall be published during the first

quarter of 2016.

6. The project closing ceremony to be held in April-2016.

Workshops CompletedEvent Dated Venue Participant

sPartner Organizations

Semantic Domain-1 Workshop

27 July 2015 Boson-RoyeeYCDO Office

12 FLIYCDO

Semantic Domain-2 Workshop

8 August 2015 Boson-RoyeeYCDO Office

12 FLIYCDO

Semantic Domain -3 Workshop

August 2015 GistiniMuhmmadin House

11 FLIYCDO

Orthography Workshop 29 Sep. – 3 Oct2015

Govt. High School Parabeg

22 FLIYCDOGovt High School ParabegPPC College Parabeg

Semantic Domain – 4 Workshop

4 Oct 2015 Govt High School Parabeg

22 FLIYCDO

Semantic Domain4-C Workshop

8 Oct. 2015 OghotiWali House

10 FLIYCDO

Writer Workshop 12-13 October 2015 Boson- RoyeeYCDO Office

12 FLIYCDOPamir Degree College

Future Action Plan

1. After completion of the current project YCDO will seek help through the technical cooperation of FLI in getting donor support to extend the Language Preservation Program for another two years. The major set is to search 6000 Yidgha Words and to publish its first dictionary.

2. YCDO will seek KPK government and other stakeholders grants to establish Yidgha Language Primary School in the area so that the Yidgha speaker children get primary education in their own mother tongue.

3. Forum for Language Initiative planning to publish a Flok Stories, History and Yidgha Poetry Book in 2016

Name Designation

Mr. Allauddin Honorary Chairman YCDO

Mr. Hussamuddin

Chairman (Arbitration Board) The Aga Khan Local Council and SCT Teacher at Govt High School

Parabeg

Mr. Miran Shah Secretary The Aga Khan Local Council & Principal Girls High School Royee

Mr. Sharbat Khan Ex-Teacher Turned Politician Leader PTI Chitral

Mr. Bahauddin Teacher, Govt High School Parabeg

Mr. Arif Teacher, AKES Chitral

Mr. Khairuddin Shadani Journalist & President YCDO

Mr. Shafi Rehmat Finance Manager – GADO

Mr. Hameed Gul Teacher Al-Nasir College

Mr. Walu Community Member

Mr. Mohyuddin Teacher AKES

Mr. Shireen Khan Advocate Chitral

Mr. Munir Teacher AKES

Mr. Jalil Community Member

Mr. Noor Azam General Counselor Village Council Birzeen

Mr. Qayoom Community Member

Mr. Hisam Uddin Youth Counselor Village Council Parabeg

Mr. Shaferoz Researcher FLI

Mr. Mian Jan Community Member

Rahmat Ali General Counselor Village Council Parabeg

Yidgha Language Committee

Participants of Orthography Workshop-3 October 2015

Participant of Semantic Domain 4 Workshop Village Oghoti – 23 October 2015

Participants of Semantic Domain Workshop- GHS Parabeg – 4 October 2015

Semantic Domain Workshop – Boson- Royee Oct 18 2015

Writer Workshop -Boson Royee13 November 2015

Yidgha Research in FLI Workshop – Islamabad October 2015

Thank you

Presentation by

Khairuddin Shadani

President

Yidgha Cultural & Development Organization

YCDO Office: Village Boson- Royee,

Garam Chashma Valley, Tehsil & District Chitral

Phone- +92 943 310188

Mobile- +92 340 9862603

Email:yidgha.cdo@gmail.com

Website: www.yidgha.weebly.com