Banna Primer

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 00:23:25 -0600

Photos of the Banna primer construction workshop held in September, 2003.

Five Banna speakers joined David, Getu and Ayke to help us construct the Banna primers.
Two of them could already read a little bit. On the first day of the workshop, we had Ayke and Getu show them how to spell in Banna. Here Ayke is working with Sani (pronounced "Sunny").
Donna Clawson, coordinator for the Banna Literacy and Translation work, had prepared word lists to use in the primer construction workshop. She also arranged for all of us to eat the midday meal in her home - the national food, "injera b'wat." Click here for an "injera b'wat" slideshow.
Eamon Anderson, a missionary from New Jersey to Gypsies in Romania, had come to help us in the workshop. (She hopes to do primers in the Gypsies� language.) She and I decided to share one plate at mealtime, since even together we couldn�t finish a whole injera (the sourdough bread, shaped like a huge pancake, on which Mago is adding stew). We break off a piece of injera and wrap it around a bit of stew, then pop it into our mouth. mmm mmm good!
We started each day with a Banna praise chorus and a devotion led by one of the workshop participants. David is leading in this photo. Can you tell he loves to sing?
James Kigamwa (standing) came from Kenya to lead our workshop. I was impressed by his wealth of experience, his commitment to ministry, and his insight into what will and won�t work in a literacy program. Here he discusses with one of the teams the lesson they are writing. (On the fourth day of the workshop we divided into three teams in order to progress more quickly.)
James was able to keep us all encouraged and in focus. Here Sani, Jammo and Getu smile during a brief respite from the intense concentration required for writing primer lessons.
When a team finished writing a lesson, James and I would go through it with them, checking to be sure they had used only the characters taught up to that point in the primer, and that they hadn�t gone over their quota of new words. (Too many new words in a lesson make it difficult for a new reader.)
Then the team leader (here it's David) would write the new words on a piece of newsprint taped to the wall so that all the teams could use those words in subsequent lessons.
Sharon Smith, who works with the church leaders in teaching and evangelism, graciously set aside her other work to help us for the 2 weeks of the workshop. When a lesson was completed, she and Eamon would copy it into the primer lesson outline, adding "boxes" for teaching and drilling the new words.
On the last day of the workshop, after we had completed a draft of all 3 Banna primers, we invited several government and church leaders to a celebration feast.
Before the meal was served, David (left) and Jammo (holding the pointer) demonstrated how a primer lesson is taught.
Jammo was the "student", and though he doesn't know how to read yet, he was able to point to each of the 2 picture words taught in Lesson 1.
On our first Sunday, James preached in the local church. He spoke in English, I translated into Amharic (the national language), and Ayke translated that into Banna. It will be SO MUCH easier when they have the Scriptures in their own Banna language!
On our second Sunday, James preached in a church a half hour�s drive from Alduba. This time Sharon (center) translated into Amharic, and Garsho (right) into Banna. Afterward Sani invited us to his home for shofro. Eamon (left) is holding a "coffee cup", a half-gourd about 10 inches in diameter!
Bekelech oversaw the cooking for our Banna primer construction workshop. A tea kettle is heating on the kerosene burner. Her two children play as she works.
After the feast celebrating construction of the Banna primers, the cooks and their children relax over their own meal.
We held our first Banna tutor training in Alduba August 7-13, 2004. Twenty-nine Banna believers came for the training. Tabby (our station manager's wife) helped interpret. Here she shows one of the primers.
Gideon (top right) came from Kenya as a co-leader of the training. I�m supposed to be interpreting from English into Amharic for him, but it looks like I got carried away and added my own two-cents-worth.
The class was held in a large tent. Banna translators Ayke, Getu and David were among the trainees. Here Ayke practices teaching a primer lesson.
Each afternoon we divided the trainees into groups of 4 or 5 so each could have a turn practice-teaching a lesson. Birhanu was one of the seven who absorbed the training well enough to begin teaching others right away when it was over.
Lesson 1 of the Banna primer. The trainees practiced teaching this and other lessons to each other. Can you guess the first 2 "picture words"?
We had a "shofro" break mid-morning. Shofro is a hot drink made from coffee shells. It has a coffee flavor with less caffeine, and the Banna-Hamer people find it very refreshing. Boiled corn and (dry) beans make a nice snack to go with it.
Patrick (left) and Gideon (right), the leaders of our tutor-training workshop, pose with one of the evangelists who came for the training.
Trent and Tabby�s dogs had to get in on the group photo at the end of the workshop.
We held our second Banna tutor training in Turmi, 3 hours's drive south of Alduba. I grieved for the women in Turmi, who wear iron �necklaces�, carry heavy loads of wood, and show in their faces their need for the light of the Gospel.
Since Ayke and Getu had taken the training in Alduba, they now helped us with the teaching. Here Ayke demonstrates how to use flash cards for reviewing a primer lesson.
We held our classes inside this building. Having "walls" that could be propped open made for better lighting and cooler air.
Getu asks for a volunteer to help him demonstrate the pre-reading exercise.
Shello (top left) had come to Turmi for medicine but ended up in our classroom, so Getu taught him to do the pre-reading exercise.
He did so well that the next day Getu taught him Lesson 1 of the primer. Everyone became excited when he was actually able to read the sentences in the lesson.
He sat with the class (front right) for two days before returning home. When asked if he would like to learn to read, he said, "Yes!" Pray that someone in his area will teach him. Pray that he will come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord.
Some of the groups met outside for their practice teaching.
We celebrated Donna's birthday in Turmi during one of the trainings. We had no way to make or buy a birthday cake, but she brought out some cookies she had made, and Patrick, Gideon and I sang "Happy Birthday". It was a joyful celebration.
Our second week in Turmi we held a tutor training for evangelists' wives. Here Ayke works on his lesson while Getu teaches.
Group photo of evangelists' wives and their teachers. Duba and Fikadu came to help with the training, and three of the evangelists who couldn't join the earlier training learned with the women.
After group photos of the trainees, I asked to take one of the children. We need to reach these little ones while they still have their whole life to live for the Lord.
Seven of the trainies from our first Banna tutor training qualified to teach the primers to others. I visited Ayke's reading group, which met at 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, in a room with solar light.
It was encouraging to see that these four new readers were well into the third (last) primer. Pray that they will each teach someone else to read.
Since I wanted to take photos, the lesson took longer than usual, and the solar light ran out of power. As darkness descended on us, Ayke pointed to a flashlight.
Using the flashlight, they were able to complete that evening's lesson.
Getu's reading group met at 6 a.m., Monday through Friday. As the sun rises, light from the window enables them to see the primer.
The four learners take turns reading. It grieves me that they are sharing one book. They must feel the cost for each one to buy a primer is too high.
Still, I rejoice that they are all reading fluently from the third (last) primer. Pray that each of these also will teach at least one other to read.
By the time the lesson comes to an end, there is plenty of daylight in the room.

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Banna Primer