There are many languages, spread all over the world, and while some have failed to survive, others have managed to make it. But they’re still on the verge of extinction.

In the far south, you’ll find the ancient Nubian language fighting the modernity that’s about to erase its linguistic heritage. But with the efforts of a group of young Nubian adults, there might still be hope. The group have launched an initiative called Koma Waidi to preserve the Nubian linguistic heritage in Aswan and the villages of Nubia; Koma Waidi is a Nubian word that means “tales of the past”.

Two volunteers lead this initiative; Hafsa Amberkab and Fatma Adar, who, with the help of other volunteers, were able to issue a dictionary-like booklet that translates Nubian into several different languages. These include Arabic, English, and Spanish.

The volunteers go on trips to various Nubian villages to meet elderly people who still speak the ancient language. They documented their interviews that include things like Nubian vocabulary and songs.

Koma Waidi was launched last October, and the dictionary, which included around 230 Nubian terminologies, took almost three months complete. The dictionary is the first in a series of booklets and is expected to be followed by more that contain the rest of the language’s terms.

The founders of the initiative began distributing the dictionary to introduce the Nubian heritage and language to tourists.

Koma Waidi is among the 35 initiatives in The Upper Egypt Children’s Development Program by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.