Demeke Akalu

Translator - Oromo and Amharic Languages

“In my understanding language justice is about being heard regardless of any obstacles or any kind of discrimination I believe everyone of us have a voice and it should be heard.”

Demeke Akalu is 29 years old, living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and is currently working as a content moderator for a Google project by supporting the Amharic, Oromo, and English languages.

“Something that people might not know about the language I translate, might be market specific knowledge. For example, about how a certain speech could be phrased when it comes to how the language is spoken or written.” Demeke says.

When asked about what motivates him to be part of Respond, Demeke shares, “I appreciate the fact that we are able to assist anyone who faces a language barrier so that they go by their day-to-day life without obstacles caused by language barriers.” He also says, “I receive mental satisfaction when I help those who are in need of language translation, and also, I'm able to pay some bills from the income I'm receiving from translation jobs.”

Demeke supported himself when he went to university by working part time jobs, without help or assistance from anyone.

He understands language justice as, “being heard regardless of any obstacles or any kind of discrimination. I believe everyone of us have a voice and it should be heard.”

A fun fact that we learned about Demeke, “I’m very interested in astrology and learning more about myself, others, and the world around me. Uncovering someone’s astrology chart helps me better understand where the individual is coming from, how they like to be communicated with, and how they like to communicate.”

Demeke’s favorite word in any language is “Maharajalela.” He shared why, “Maharajalela is my favorite word. I always hear it when I use the train in Malaysia. [It refers to] a Malay nationalist and a folk hero, and is seen as a symbol of the Malay resistance against British colonialism. That’s why I like it.”