In 1800, a 15-year-old Welsh girl named Mary Jones showed remarkable determination. Determined to have a Bible in Welsh, Mary walked 26 miles through the rugged terrain of north Wales to Bala. For six years, she saved diligently for this goal. With the help of Reverend Thomas Charles of Bala, who arranged a place for Mary to stay and sold her three Bibles for the price of one, Mary's dream was realized. Mary Jones' story became an inspiration in local churches and highlighted the importance of having access to God's word in one's own language.

 

The World Fellowship of Bible Societies (United Bible Society-UBS) continues Mary Jones' legacy with a major commitment to Bible translation. To date, UBS has translated complete Bibles into the languages of more than half the world's population, with about 70 percent of all existing Bible translations being done by national agencies under UBS. However, many people are still waiting for translations of the Bible in their own languages, including translations into the world's 400 sign languages. UBS has an ambitious goal of completing 1,200 translation projects in the next 20 years, which will give access to Scripture to an estimated 600 million people.

 

In addition to Bible translation, UBS recognizes that literacy  is key to accessing the Bible. Each year, through literacy training programs UBS and its members help around 100,000 people around the world to learn basic reading and writing skills. This program not only helps people thrive in their daily lives, but also allows them to engage directly with the Scriptures. In Indonesia the program is known as the New Reader of the Bible (PBA) Program.

 

One of UBS's key initiatives was the Asia Pacific Literacy Training held in June 2023 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. This training equips the literacy staff of Bible Societies in Asia Pacific with the basic principles and conceptual foundations of literacy. In-depth research on the conceptual foundations and principles of literacy is required to acquire comprehensive competence in theory and practice, which builds the core foundation of the literacy officer training program.

 

Through this training, UBS recognizes the importance of providing adequate provision for the people who assist in this great work. Bible Institute staff in Asia Pacific who coordinate literacy projects were recommended by their General Secretaries to undergo the UBS Literacy Officer Training Program. The training was held for 10 full days in Chiang Mai, Thailand, between July 15-25, 2024, with participants from various countries such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mongolia, Cambodia, Laos, Bible Society in the Gulf, Bible Society in the South Pacific, and the Indonesian Bible Institute (LAI) represented by two of its staff, namely Richo Sianipar and Perlando Panjaitan.

 

The training was hosted by literacy experts like Cito Casquite, Julian Sundersingh, Preethi Jacob from UBS Global Literacy Team, Herald Rajan from SIL South Asia Group, SACTS India, Samollay Sakuljaroenlert - Independent Literacy Consultant, and Scholastica Shefaly Rebarue from SIL Bangladesh. Logistical support while in Thailand was provided by Waraporn, of the Bible Society of Thailand.

 

Each day of training starts at 8.30 am until 6 pm, beginning with a 'Pause of God' session. A short worship service invites each participant to give thanks for God's grace in our lives and realize that the responsibility of running this literacy program is to carry out God's vision and calling. The afternoon training ended with a debriefing session to evaluate what was learned on the day and what could be improved.

 

Over the course of 10 days, key materials are delivered through six main parts of the 'literacy lifecycle': preparation (preliminary research and program planning), partnership (raising awareness and collaborating with the community), community engagement (working with local schools and organizations), materials and human resource recruitment (recruiting and training local volunteers), implementation (adjusting schedules and locations), and follow-up (using assessments to track progress)

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This literacy training is expected to strengthen the capacity of literacy staff from Bible institutes across the Asia Pacific region. The training will be followed by several Zoom meetings until the end of 2024, with the main plenary session held online for other literacy staff who are unable to attend the face-to-face training. Through participatory approaches, small group discussions, participatory methods, group assessment, and evaluation, the literacy staff training is expected to result in sustainable and effective literacy programs in each national Bible institute's ministry area.(pp)

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