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Literacy brings Bété people closer to the Scriptures
CÔTE D’IVOIRE — “Being literate in my mother tongue has strengthened my faith. When I read the Scriptures in Bété, it’s as if I see a film in front of me.” Sephora Guede learned to read in her mother tongue, Bété, very quickly once she had received biblical materials from the Bible Society of Côte d’Ivoire. Keen to pass on her learning, it was not long before she became one of the first Bété-speaking women to be trained to teach others to read and write under a three-year literacy program. Largest ethnic groups The Bété people are one of Côte d’Ivoire’s largest ethnic groups, living mainly in the south-east of the country. The New Testament has been available in their language since 1997 (see World Report 325/20), but unfortunately literacy levels are relatively low. The problem is not that they are uneducated. In fact, many influential people in areas including politics, entertainment and law come from this ethnic group. It is that they have been educated in French, the country’s official language. So only a few can read Bété. Literacy levels in Bété are particularly low in rural areas. This problem was already apparent when work began on the translation of the New Testament in the late 1980s, so a small literacy committee was also established. Attempts were made to prepare primers and easy reading materials, but funds were often lacking and motivation was low. When some influential people moved away from the area and others died, the literacy committee stopped meeting. Then came civil war and the Bété region, along with the rest of the country, began to suffer serious economic and social problems. 100 groups The Bible Society’s response was to invite Hosanna and its African counterpart Theovision to provide the New Testament on audio cassette. This would also feature Scripture songs in Bété. In just two years, more than 100 listening groups have been established and there has been an upsurge in interest in the Scriptures in Bété and in literacy in general in this language. Now, thanks to support from within the UBS fellowship, a three-year literacy program has been set up. Pastor Celestin Biailly, one of the main translators of the Bété New Testament, has returned to the area with his family to lead the program. He is assisted by Emile Sery, who was also one of the original translators. An office has been rented and a small motorbike has been bought. The literacy team devotes its time to travelling extensively throughout this dense region, visiting and encouraging village literacy classes. Volunteer teachers like Mrs Guede are being trained. The goal in the first year of this project is to teach 750 people to read. One of the resources being used for this work is a new series from the Bible Society: Reading Our Languages. These short booklets are designed to help people who are already able to read and write French to gain these skills in their mother tongue, too. The first one is for the Bété people. Learn quickly Mrs Guede’s own experience shows that, when provided with the right materials, Bété-speakers can quickly learn to read and write their own language. This in turn enhances their understanding of God’s Word. “I did not attend any literacy classes,” she says, “but I saw copies of the Gospel of Mark being distributed during the dedication of the New Testament. I was really interested and decided to learn to read. With very little effort, I learned to read by myself and read the Gospel of Mark over and over again. “Then I was asked to take part in the recording of the New Testament, so I was forced to really develop my reading skills. I had my first formal training as a literacy teacher in November. While waiting to set up a class, I practise teaching at home in front of a blackboard. Better understanding “Now I understand the Word of God so much better. During services, when they read verses from the New Testament in French, I read the same verses in Bété and I understand them so much better. I just wish that all Bété Christians could do the same.” For a previous report on literacy development work in Côte d’Ivoire, see World Report 392/3. (WR 405/22 - 09/10.06) [1 photo] |
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