Two colleagues leaving today for literacy training

Francois Medjo (http://www.francoismedardmedjo.blogspot.com/) and Ferdinand Elanga (http://www.codylko.blogspot.com/) left today on their third (and final?) trip to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, where they will complete a training program that shapes them into colleagues and peers of those in SIL who are doing literacy consultation.
They are leaving with documents in hand that will be examined and evaluated by Cathy Davison, the coordinator of the program ("la Pratique et Théorie de l'Alphabétisation"). This time, they should return with certificates from UNESCO that they will proudly show to one and all who wonder if they can help them with their literacy materials and literacy programs.
Pray for them to succeed in their training and come back recharged for more adventures.

Ferdinand was telling me today that his work as a literacy organizer in Mindourou has had some unforeseen impact outside the scope of his plans: 1.) Speakers of Mpubyeng, a dialect of Mpumpung, have indicated their interest in receiving his counsel and help as they learn to read and write in their mother tongue. 2.) There are two more new believers in Christ Jesus in Djaposten as a result of hearing the recording of MARK in the Badwe'e dialect. The Megavoice units are a big source of church growth! They are making impact far beyond our expectations!

The picture at the left shows some of the Badwe'e who contributed their voices to the recording of the Gospel of Mark. It took place in Somalomo, under the supervision of our SIL coworker, Duane Troyer.

Francois MEDJO busy in Lomie

Francois is our partner in the work, based with his family in Lomie. He oversees everthing there: literacy program development, training, capacity-building, ... you name it! His website is http://www.francoismedardmedjo.blogspot.com/.
He says that young and old Nzime are coming to his door at all times to be involved in the acquisition of reading and writing skills. The Njyem are becoming more and more earnest about the use of their language in nontraditional ways.
Visit his site see how you can help him and his team.
Most recently, he created a team of people to read a story in Nzime that recounts a typical AIDS tragedy. This story is called "Kande's Story" in English, and it is being used powerfully in various translated forms throughout Africa. It is his goal to add the sound to the PowerPoint presentation and then project it throughout the Nzime area.
As he said, "Ignorance kills; people die because they don't know what they are supposed to do. The Kande story will help them avoid this outcome."
Francois leads a nongovernmental organization, ASTRADHE, that is a member of a consortium of NGOs. They have asked his organization to take the lead role in AIDS education.