What on earth?

We have chosen to be involved in literacy work as part of the Bible translation task. For our initial assignment (at least the first 2 years) this will take place in Tanzania, East Africa. In August '07 we started our training at the Wycliffe base near High Wycombe. This involves an introduction to language work, guidance on language learning and cultural adaptation, and specific training for an assignment in literacy. We will go abroad in January 2008 to start our work as part of a translation project.

Wycliffe’s vision, to see the Bible available to all people, means that its work (60+ years since its foundation) is primarily with small, excluded and marginalised people groups. Working with these people brings its own challenges and responsibilities (addressing poor living conditions, lack of education etc) outside of the task at hand, and Wycliffe works with other charities to address these needs. One particular part of this is literacy, working with the local government to set up adequate educational programmes as well as training for indigenous teachers. Currently 20% of adults in the world are classified as ‘illiterate’ (UN: 'the inability to read and write a simple sentence in any language') and it has been shown that this is one of the main reasons that people are locked into poverty. (See a recent UN statement here.)

We are excited because literacy empowers people and gives them new opportunities, which can radically change their lives for the better. Not only will people be able to read the Bible but also books on how to grow crops better, how to stay healthy, allowing them to access other rights and knowledge that we take for granted. Literacy prevents people being exploited and allows them to assert their rights more effectively.

We are also excited about literacy work as it is vital in the work of a translation project. What use is a Bible if no-one can read it? As many projects work with unwritten languages part of the process is to devise a written form of the language and teach the people group to read and write in their own language so they can use the translation when they receive it.