Today, September 8, is International Literacy Day, a day so designated to draw attention to issues of literacy in the world, including the link between poverty and the inability to read and write. Appropriately enough, the ELCSL is sponsoring a Krio literacy workshop this week. In partnership with the ELCA, the Sierra Leone Bible Society, and The Institute of Sierra Leonean Languages (TISLL), 17 ELCSL pastors and lay leaders are learning to read, write and teach the Krio language.
Pastor Jones (from an indigenous Pentecostal church) is one of three Krio literacy instructors working with ELCSL leaders this week.
English is the official language of Sierra Leone but Krio is the language of the people. Yesterday the executive director of the Sierra Leone Bible Society challenged the workshop participants with the idea that “until a person can read and write their own language, they aren’t educated.” She was speaking to a gathering of individuals who speak Krio, English and probably at least one other language, and all of whom have completed some level of higher education. Until this week, however, few of them were able to read and write Krio.
Krio is an English based creole, with influences from many languages. Learning to read Krio is fairly simple for English readers, although the alphabet is not equivalent and the differing vowel sounds can be confusing at first.
Literacy trainers and bible translators talk about “heart language” meaning “mother tongue,” or the language people know and understand by heart, from birth. Organizations like the Bible Society, Lutheran Bible Translators, and TISLL emphasize and promote literacy in countries like Sierra Leone because scripture is best understood by people when they hear and read it in the language of their hearts. This week’s workshop is the first step in a process leading to translation of the English liturgy into Krio and introduction of the liturgy in the Krio speaking churches of the ELCSL. Most significantly for now, all the pastors and evangelists have been equipped with a Krio New Testament, and have been trained to read the gospel to their congregations in Krio. The workshop has been extremely positive so far, and I’m eager to start hearing the scripture in Krio when I attend worship in Freetown in coming weeks.
Marion Boima is an evangelist at Calvary. She is holding up the Krio word for hand.
Pastor Samuel Yovonie of Resurrection, Bo is holding the Krio word for "see" or "sea."
Evangelist John Kandeh (Thomas Memorial, Newton) has a flash card with the Krio spelling of the word for month. Next to him is Evangelist Wilfred Kamara.
Kate, thank you for the reminder of the focus on literacy today. I was especially touched by “scripture is best understood by people when they hear and read it in the language of their hearts.” It seems that it is within the heart that holy scripture is best digested and integrated. Your words remind me that while literacy begins in the mind, at its deepest expression it resides in the heart. The work of offering and translating the scriptures into Krio is so honoring and respectful of the beautiful people of God in Sierra Leone. Blessings on this good work.
how cool is this?! and the Word became flesh … until it is spoken and written and read and heard it is not “flesh” is it? I have a question .. what’s the difference in the “e” sound between tel & bet? thanks for this, be safe … blessings, Deb L-Mc+
In Krio, the vowel sound “e” is pronounced as a long “a” so that the English word spelled “wait” is spelled “wet” in krio. The other E (I don’t have the actual character on my keyboard) vowel sound is a short “e” sound pronounced as in the english “get.” I is pronounced as a long “e” (we = wi) and “ay” is pronounced as a long “i” (die = day).
Speaking of literacy–what or is there an average salary a teacher makes in a Lutheran school, if they actually get paid? I fully agree with the approach that is being taken.