Constitution d'un corpus en Lingala dans le cadre du projet ELIKYA

Organizational Context

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) supports developing countries with advice and advocacy for aid. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the rapid digital transformation highlights the need for localized AI solutions. However, a lack of structured linguistic data in local languages, like Lingala, hinders inclusive technology development. The ELIKYA project aims to address this by building a Lingala linguistic corpus for AI model training.

Job Purpose

This role contributes to the ELIKYA project, which aims to bridge the gap in linguistic data for AI development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The project focuses on creating a Lingala linguistic corpus to train AI models capable of understanding and processing the language. Volunteers will be mobilized in Kinshasa and Mbandaka to collect, structure, and validate linguistic data. This effort is crucial for developing inclusive AI technologies that are relevant to local realities and support the country's digital transformation goals.

Responsibilities

Volunteers will participate in collecting Lingala linguistic data, including texts, expressions, dialogues, and audio recordings. Key duties involve transcribing and translating Lingala content, verifying the linguistic quality of collected data, and assisting with data annotation and structuring. Volunteers will collaborate with technical teams to enhance the corpus quality and raise local community awareness about the ELIKYA project. They will also document activities, produce regular reports, and attend training sessions on digital tools and data collection techniques.

Work Experience

While not strictly required, experience in data collection, transcription, or research is considered an asset. Volunteers should be comfortable using smartphones or computers and possess qualities such as rigor, organization, and attention to detail. The age range for volunteers is 18 to 35 years.

Skills

Essential skills include a good command of Lingala (oral and/or written) and the ability to read and write in French (desirable). Volunteers should demonstrate an interest in digital technology or artificial intelligence, be comfortable with digital tools (smartphones, computers), and possess strong organizational and analytical skills. Rigor and attention to detail are also important.

Explore related opportunities