Tũnyamũ twĩ muoyo (TTM) is a science translation agency that works in African Languages to create engaging materials about cells, microbes, and microscopic life. By centering organisms we usually need a microscope to see, we open up conversations about health, biology, and the world around us in ways that resonate locally. Tũnyamũ twĩ muoyo can be literally translated to “little living organisms” in the Kikuyu language of Central Kenya.
We are active participants in science engagement, which is defined by the science engagement organization Falling Walls Engage as: “Activities, events, or interactions bridging the gap between science and society to generate mutual learning and benefits across the spectrum of public engagement and interactive science communication. Engagement is a two-way process aimed at shaping and co-creating scientific processes and promoting active community involvement in scientific knowledge production”. We believe that effective science engagment helps communities
This isn’t just a “nice, do-gooder” translation project; it is a critical infrastructure upgrade to Kenya’s human operating system. When we force students and artisans to process 21st-century science through a 19th-century linguistic legacy system, we unwittingly impose a 30-40% “Cognitive Tax” on the nation’s intelligence. According to Cognitive Load Theory (Sweller et al.), a brain forced to decode a foreign language while also encoding complex scientific concepts suffers from massive bandwidth loss, effectively wasting 1 in every 3 shillings spent on STEM education. Our initiative acts as one way to remove the linguistic friction that currently excludes 70% of the population—the rural majority—from the formal science economy. We are not just changing words; we are reclaiming lost GDP by shifting information-passive citizens into high-velocity problem solvers. Thus, we are upgrading the national “User Interface” to ensure that every Kenyan can innovate at the speed of thought.
Reference: Sweller, J., Ayres, P., & Kalyuga, S. (2011). Altering element interactivity and intrinsic cognitive load. In Cognitive load theory (pp. 203-218). New York, NY: Springer New York.
We participate in science engagement by:
- Contributing to health dialogues by: making weekly videos about science topics in our mother tongue of Kikuyu, and a monthly “science in short” Kiswahili video (2026)
- Supporting scientists to develop confidence in their use of mother tongue to discuss scientific concepts via translation cohorts
- Co-developing short lessons to support science engagement in your mother tongue of choice
- Advocating for the role of mother tongue science engagement to increase science literacy and love of science.
TTM 