CÔTE D’IVOIRE — With the complete Bible having been translated into only two of the country’s 78 languages, the Bible Society in Côte d’Ivoire is strongly aware of the need to set ambitious targets for its translation program, in which it invests around CFA Fr15 million (US$30,000) each year. But for languages whose speakers lack literacy skills, simply providing a translation is not enough. This is why, in the case of Akyé, translation work has gone hand-in-hand with literacy development.

Initiative

Akyé, or Attié, is spoken by around 381,000 people in Côte d’Ivoire. Most live in Abidjan or one of its suburbs. In Anyama, around 15 kms (10 miles) north-east of the capital, local churches have for some years been working with the Bible Society to ensure that, when the complete Akyé Bible is launched, members of the congregation who speak this language will be able to read it for themselves. With overall literacy among Akyé speakers at no more than five per cent, there are many potential students.

The initiative stretches back some years. The Akyé New Testament was launched in 1995, but even before then the 15 Methodist churches in Anyama were holding Akyé literacy classes. At each church, one person was trained to teach others. Classes run throughout the year, and students’ progress is monitored with regular tests. These take the form of a competition between the different churches in which students either read and then explain a passage from the Akyé New Testament or write down a passage dictated from it.

Successful

In January, staff from the Bible Society had the opportunity to see for themselves how successful this approach has been. They were particularly pleased to see that young Akyé speakers are very enthusiastic about improving their literacy skills. Moreover, these young people are enjoying the strong support of their parents and other older people, many of whom attend the competitions.