KoboToolbox is the leading open source data tool for challenging environments. It is used by thousands of nonprofits worldwide for data-informed action in humanitarian response, development, health, environmental protection, and many other crucial social impact initiatives. Kobo, the nonprofit behind KoboToolbox, promotes data-driven impact and supports access to innovative and reliable data tools on a global scale. Providing users with accessible learning resources in different languages is critical to their mission of empowering individuals and organizations to generate insights and make informed decisions that drive positive change around the world. The KoboToolbox Academy offers self-paced online courses as a way to reach more people with the training materials they need to effectively collect, manage, and analyze data.
After releasing the KoboToolbox Essentials Course in English in 2023, Kobo received numerous requests directly from their global user community for this resource to be available in more languages. In response to this feedback, the Cours d’initiation à KoboToolbox, their French translation of the Essentials Course, was launched in April, 2024. “With French as the preferred language for 1 in 6 KoboToolbox users and one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, with nearly 300 million speakers globally,” the organization noted, “making this foundational course accessible in French was a critical step for advancing data inclusivity.
Challenges and insights from the translation process
The translation process revealed important linguistic and technical challenges for creating multilingual learning resources for data collection and management. The learning team at Kobo noted that “many of the technical terms used for survey form development and data collection are specifically English terms, without established translation equivalents.” To address these challenges, the Kobo team conducted significant research into the terminology most commonly used by French-speaking professionals in the sector and collaborated with CLEAR Global to apply standardized translations consistently throughout the course materials. Kobo staff indicated that “the team at CLEAR Global was essential to this process, providing recommendations to achieve both localization and technical accuracy.”
The effect was significant: “the top four countries for enrolment in the French course were DRC, Burkina Faso, Uganda, and France,” demonstrating the course’s broad reach across both Africa and Europe.
Advancing data inclusivity and localization
One of the key motivations for translating the Essentials Course was to bridge the accessibility gap in data training. As noted by the Kobo team, “the majority of resources for building data capacities are only available in English, often of varying quality, and inaccessible to many local organizations who work most closely with communities in need.”
By providing high-quality training in multiple languages, Kobo aims to empower locally-led development initiatives. For the Kobo team, “promoting data inclusivity and providing accessible data tools, especially for organizations in low- and middle-income countries, is pivotal for supporting locally-led change and achieving meaningful outcomes for communities.”
The translation process not only improved course accessibility but also established a standardized approach for future projects. “The translation of this course prompted the development of an extensive translation guide,” highlighted the Kobo team, “that helps to ensure accuracy and consistency across our course development, user interface, and other translations.”
Looking ahead, the Kobo team envisions a long-term impact on data collection and decision-making within the humanitarian sector. For Kobo, “better data means better outcomes for communities. By equipping local and frontline organizations with the tools, skills, and knowledge they need, we aim to support more effective emergency aid, development programming, health interventions, and other crucial social impact initiatives.”
Kobo credits CLEAR Global as an essential partner in this initiative. “The support, collaboration, and expertise from the team at CLEAR Global were essential to this process,” they shared. The Translators without Borders community, who translated the material, played a pivotal role in ensuring that the learning resource was effectively localized.
“The work of the volunteer translators at CLEAR Global is so important for advancing accessibility and inclusivity, especially in sectors where the majority of learning resources are only available in English,” they commented. Encouraged by the positive feedback they have received on the course so far, Kobo expanded its translation efforts, launching the Curso Esenciales de KoboToolbox in Spanish in February 2025. Thanks to this partnership, both French- and Spanish-speaking users now have access to high-quality training resources, reinforcing the shared commitment to data inclusivity and locally-led change.