This month’s Kuwaa Mission Prayer Letter comes from Mr. Roland Yarsiah, Chairperson of the Kuwaa Parish Council. Mr. Yarsiah is a junior high school teacher in Kalata, one of the district’s larger towns. As a district leader, he has seen firsthand how the Kuwaa Mission has served and supported the Kuwaa people over the years. In this letter, Mr. Yarsiah expresses particular appreciation for the recently revived Kuwaa literacy program and its importance for preserving the Kuwaa language for future generations. ______________________________________________________________________________
My name is Roland Yarsiah, and I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Kuwaa Mission for the valuable work you are doing among the Kuwaa people.
My community and I greatly appreciate the clean water made possible by the wells you dug and fitted in our towns, the support provided through the clinic and medicines, the training opportunities offered to our girls, and the many other activities that help improve our people’s lives. I especially want to thank you for introducing the Kuwaa literacy program. The reports we hear and read about the condition of African languages are concerning. Many African languages are disappearing because they have too few remaining speakers. In some cases, no living speakers remain. Even more troubling is that many of these languages were never properly documented or preserved.
Although we often hear of this happening in distant countries, we understand that the same danger faces the Kuwaa language. We recognize that our own experiences reflect many of the conditions that have caused other languages to decline or disappear. Because there are limited opportunities in our region, many Kuwaa people must leave their homes and travel hundreds of miles to larger towns and cities in search of work, education, and a better future. As we travel, we often begin using English, the official language, more frequently, along with other languages spoken where we live and work.
Kuwaa people are often known for speaking several languages. Others consider us intelligent because we can learn and speak those languages fluently, often sounding like native speakers. We are proud of this ability. However, this strength can also place our own language at risk. Because we no longer speak Kuwaa regularly at home, we are failing to teach it to our children. As a result, each generation has fewer people who can speak and understand Kuwaa.
We understand the effect this neglect is having on our mother tongue. This is why there is such strong interest in the literacy program. Our students, teachers, and district leaders welcome this initiative because we recognize its importance and the benefits it can bring to our people. Thank you, Kuwaa Mission, for helping us preserve our language, strengthen our identity, and invest in the future of the Kuwaa people.
Prayer: God, we thank you for people like Roland and all those who have embraced this literacy program. We pray that the men and women being trained to teach gain knowledge and understanding from You so they may be effective in their calling. Amen!
Your contributions to the Kuwaa Mission are tax-deductible. We are a 501c3 non-profit organization. Our tax ID number is 27-5458111. Donations can be given in two ways: A Check to the mission address or PayPal on our Website.
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