Kusaal speakers will soon begin a big celebration for National Kusaal Language Day (NKL-DAY), which will run online from December 17 to 30.
Every year, December 17 is set aside to remember Salam Abugri Ayaab, a well-known oral historian from Kusaug. He was killed in Bawku by unknown gunmen. Many people who used to listen to his stories still keep his words and lessons in their hearts. The day is meant to honour his life and protect the Kusaal language he loved.
The first National Kusaal Language Day was started in 2022 by Engr Mahmud Mohammed-Nurudeen, also known as Engr Winna’amzua. As Co-Lead of the Kusaal Wikimedians Community, he asked people to speak and write Kusaal on social media throughout the day. He even used all his social media pages that year to promote the language.
Since then, NKL-Day has grown into a Wikimedia-inspired movement. The activities strongly support Wikimedia’s global mission of preserving knowledge, improving access to local languages, and increasing underrepresented content online. Through contributions to Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata, and other Wikimedia projects, Kusaal speakers are helping to safeguard the language for future generations.
This year, the celebration will be even bigger. There will also be a live question-and-answer session on Facebook, and TikTok. This will help students and young people learn more about the Kusaal language, its meaning, and how to use it well.
From December 17 to 30, Kusaal speakers and learners everywhere are invited to post in Kusaal, share stories, poems, photos, and videos in Kusaal and encourage friends and family to use the language online.
Anyone can take part—whether you speak Kusaal well or are just learning. Organizers say that every post will help make the language more visible to a larger audience.
The aim of the event is simple to celebrate Kusaal, to honour the people who kept it alive, and to encourage the younger generation to use the language with pride.
Organizers say they want the beauty of Kusaal to reach more people around the world.
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