This recipe uses the WhatsApp platform as a means of providing a translation service.
The free app available here: https://www.whatsapp.com/download/.
We chose this as it was very common for asylum seekers & refugees to have this on their mobile phones.
To start the process the user needs to know what number to contact via WhatsApp. This can be in the form of a hyperlink using the format:
<https://wa.me/+447977486954>
The user can now take a photo of the document they want translating and send it to the WhatsApp number. Guidance on how to do this so the photo is legible is helpful.
Once received the admin checks the photo to make sure the document is legible.
Admin can send the document to the translator.
The translator can translate the meaning of the document. What we mean by this is that they don't need to translate the document verbatim, but advise the user on what they must do. For example, if they need to pay an overdue bill, then they can state that and give guidance on how to achieve this goal.
Translation or guidance can be provided in text format, but out users and translators also found audio format to be a useful and efficient alternative.