A man in a remote area of Papua clutched his Bible, closing his eyes and weeping as he received it from the LAI team. It was only after about twenty minutes that he opened his eyes.

“Why have you been crying for so long, sir?”, asked one of the LAI team members who was on duty that day distributing Bibles as part of the ‘One in Love’ programme. “I am deeply moved to finally have the Bible I’ve been waiting for for the past 30 years,” said the man, almost in a whisper. 

“Then why didn’t you open the Bible straight away?”, continued the LAI team member. Briefly, the man replied: “I can’t read.”

This situation is deeply concerning in the midst of the digital age, which has permeated various aspects of life (particularly in urban areas). According to official data from the Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemdikbud), the illiteracy rate in Indonesia stood at 1.78 per cent in 2022. Meanwhile, the illiteracy rate in Papua Province reached 21.9 per cent.

Based on LAI’s experience of distributing Bibles to remote, poorest and outermost regions (3T), literacy programmes are still very much needed. This is primarily to ensure that Christians in the remotest parts of the country are able to understand the Bible.

Since 2001, LAI has been running the PBA programme in various regions in need. Following the completion of the programme in East Sumba last year, this year’s PBA programme is currently underway on Siberut Island in Mentawai Regency.

Although LAI has been running this literacy programme for 22 years, it requires a great deal of input and assistance to improve its effectiveness and efficiency. Programme updates, the expansion of partnerships, and increased innovation are essential.

From 12–16 June 2023, UBS Asia Pacific organised training and meeting on literacy in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The training programme was intended for General Secretaries of Bible Societies and staff implementing literacy programmes. 

The aim of this training is to align understanding of the strategy and implementation of the “Literacy” programme, which has so far varied considerably across the different Bible Societies. In addition to the training, a meeting was held for the General Secretaries of the Bible Societies present to make strategic decisions regarding literacy in the Asia-Pacific region.

Thirteen Bible Societies, including LAI (myself and Lukas Mariyanto), attended the event. All participants learnt a great deal from the training material based on the “Literacy Lifecycle”. Four highly experienced facilitators led the sessions using a wide variety of methods, which made it easier to understand the concepts and implementation plans.

The “Literacy Lifecycle”, which is the process leading to Bible engagement, comprises: “(1) Preparation, (2) Partnership, (3) Community involvement, (4) Material Development, (5) Implementation, (6) Follow-up.”

The General Secretaries of the Bible Societies in attendance also agreed to update their respective literacy programmes. They also provided extensive input on improving the quality of literacy programmes across the Asia-Pacific region, and followed this up with the formation of a “Literacy Affinity Group”.

Finally, all agreed that literacy programmes are efforts to improve individuals’ ability to read, write, speak, count and solve problems at the level of proficiency required in work, family and society. (17 June 2023).