They generously nursed the fledgling ministry for 7 years of learning, stabilization and eventual growth. In 2010, Listen to Learn International was federally incorporated, and it received its CRA charitable recognition in 2012 when it assumed the CRA credentials of another charity with shared charitable objects.
L2L's founder, Bill Fitch, has a long history of accomplishments in the education field, including several years teaching at Bishop’s University, lecturing at Georgian College, Founder and principal for 14 years at Muskoka Christian School, and President of a private firm that provided technology consultancy to Christian schools across Ontario. As normal retirement years approached, he seized the opportunity to establish this ministry that combined his three interests of education, technology, and the church into a fresh missional approach.
Listen to Learn (L2L) partners in Africa with a Kenyan-registered society, Listen to Learn Ministries Kenya. It is based in Eldoret, Kenya, and works exclusively with L2LI. It has a Board of 4 members and occupies rented premises. They have 10 full-time staff plus 6 part-time translators.
Our Kenyan staff takes the curriculum materials approved by L2L and manage the entire process of translation and technical preparation. This involves bringing our translators to the Studio on rotation for their week of intensive translation work, plus all the post-production work that goes into turning the raw audio into student-ready product. They prepare and load the micro SD cards every three months in support of each cohort of students.
They organize our classes of students (we call them Local Bible Institutes, or LBI for short), researching and recruiting the locations while guiding the local leadership. They frequently communicate with students to encourage them along a potentially lonely learning journey. They track student progress and organize events like LBI Reloads and Graduations.