Our Programs

Literacy for Women in Africa

BSK has an adult literacy program dubbed literacy for women in Africa. This program mainly targets a group of women of child-bearing age (15 years and above) who have not had the opportunity to learn to read and write.

BSK has an adult literacy program dubbed literacy for women in Africa. This program mainly targets a group of women of child-bearing age (15 years and above) who have not had the opportunity to learn to read and write.
Other persons targeted by the programme include men, young girls, and elderly women. This could also include women who have already had the opportunity to learn to read ‘second chance.’

Turkana County has low literacy levels of 20% considering that it has a population of 926,976 speakers of the language. Non-literates account for 741,580.

The Literacy for Women in Africa programme is currently being implemented in the County with 20 active adult literacy classes spread across Loima, Turkana Central, Turkana North, and Turkana South sub-counties. The program has grown tremendously since 2018 when it began with 10 pilot classes. So far, 1920 learners have been trained with 65% of them being women.

The reason why the program majorly focuses on women is that in the marginalized communities women or girls are denied a chance to go to school, as priority is given to men. Women are seen as people who carry out house chores, bear children, go through practices e.g. female genital mutilation (FGM) and early marriages thus denying them a chance to access education or any form of schooling.

The uniqueness of this program is that it is a non-formal mother tongue-based education meant to impact adult learners with basic reading and writing skills. The main goal of the program is to enable the marginalized communities to read the Word of God in their heart language and be transformed by it.

BSK partners with the Church to implement this programme. The Churches provide venues that are used as classes, they identify passionate people who are trained as teachers, and they assist in monitoring. The Directorate of Adult and Continuing Education office has also come in handy in helping learners to transition to formal schooling to learn other subjects.

other Programs & projects

Open the Book & Programme For Pastoral Instruction PPI

Braille Bible Distribution to the VIP’s Programme

Faith Comes By Hearing (FCBH)

Mwimbi Bible Translation

Young Samaritans Programme

Literacy for Women in Africa

Bibles Eagles Club

African Biblical Leadership Initiative (abli)

Marginalized Children

 

Gikuyu Study Bible Project

Banyala Bible Translation Project

Teso Bible translation project

 

Abakuria Community Receive a Bible in their own Language

Written by Joy Balusi

April 11, 2022

Ladies from the Kuria community delighted to read their Bible

The first ever complete Bible to be translated into the Igikuria language was received with gladness  by the Abakuria community and Church leaders at the Kehancha stadium on 8th April 2022 in Migori County.

This was a great milestone for the Abakuria community as the translation took 39 years of hard work and dedication from the translators who hail from Kenya and Tanzania.

Bible Society of Kenya General Secretary Mrs. Elizabeth Muriuki and Mr. Alfred Kimonge General Secretary Bible Society of Tanzania officiated the launch of the Bible. “The launch of this Bible is very special to me personally as it has been a journey of resilience. My desire is that this Bible will positively transform the Kuria community spiritually, economically and that it will be taught to children so that future generations to  grow knowing the truth.”Said Mrs. Muriuki. Mrs. Muriuki thanked all the donors and partners for their support towards this project adding that many lives will be transformed. 

The Bible Societies of Kenya and Tanzania launched the New Testament in 1996, the Igikuria Book of Deuteronomy, and Malachi in 2016 at Mabhera Geton’ganya and it was very well received by the Kuria community. Later, the book of Proverbs and Nehemiah was published.

The Igikuria Bible will be the 23rd complete Bible to be launched by the Bible Society of Kenya and the 28th community to have the full bible in Kenya. Kenya has over 53 language groups, 10 communities have New Testaments and 9 have portions of Scripture. The current ongoing Bible translation projects include Banyala, Mwimbi Muthambi, and Teso languages.

Deputy President Willliam Ruto’s wife, Her Excellency Rachel Ruto graced the launch and distribution of the new Bibles noting that this Bible will unite the Kuria community and draw them closer to God.

“This is a new journey to spiritual transformation, and will no doubt change the community’s way of life and look at the world through a different lens” She said.

Translators and Reviewers pose for a photo with Her Excellency Rachel Ruto after receiving their Bible

The Bible translation project had 17 reviewers from both Kenya and Tanzania who played a crucial role in checking the text to ensure the language used is proper Igikuria.

This Bible which targets more than 934,000 Igikuria speakers is available in two editions: the Protestant edition and the Deuterocanonical edition for the Catholic faithful and can also be read online via the You version app.

We could tell the excitement as locals got copies of the Igikuria Bible for themselves. Mary Robi Nsongo shared her joy of getting a copy that would enable her to become more intimate with God. ‘’ This is a jubilant day for us Kuria people and we can’t help but dance in joy’’ She said.

We thank God for a successful Bible launch and trust that the Abakuria community in Kenya and Tanzania will intensify their knowledge of God’s word.

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