Our History & Mission
The Kamusi Project began in 1994, born from a student's frustration with the lack of adequate dictionaries for learning Swahili. From this simple need, it grew into the Internet Living Swahili Dictionary, the first online resource for an African language. Our mission today is a reflection of that origin: to produce dictionaries and other language resources for every language in the world, and to make those resources available for free to everyone, everywhere.
Using the internet, we draw on the collective knowledge of scholars and native speakers across the globe. We believe that language is a bridge. Our goal is to build a "living" resource that constantly grows and adapts, ensuring that no language is left behind in the digital age.
Founder & Executive Director
Dr. Martin Benjamin
Senior Scientist, EPFL
Dr. Benjamin founded Kamusi while a graduate student at Yale University. He holds a doctorate in Anthropology and has dedicated his career to developing linguistic resources that bridge technology with the needs of diverse language communities. As Executive Director of both Kamusi Project USA and Kamusi Project International, he oversees the linguistic research, technical development, and global partnerships that are bringing the Kamusi vision to life.
Our Partners & Collaborators
Kamusi is built on collaboration. We work with universities, non-profits, technology firms, and individual experts around the globe who share our commitment to preserving and promoting the world's languages.