MendeScripture Engagement
Help the Mende experience God’s Word by equipping them with literacy skills to read and share Scripture.
Scripture Engagement
Country
- Sierra Leone
Region
- West Africa
Language Population
2,500,000
Literacy Gaps Can Hold Back Mende Communities
Mende speakers are eager to develop reading and writing skills in their own language. Community-raised teachers will lead workshops, seminars, and literacy groups, equipping individuals to read Scripture at home and in church, fostering deeper faith and spiritual growth.
Through Bible reading and listening groups, radio programs, and events celebrating mother tongue usage, the Mende community will have meaningful opportunities to engage with Scripture. As Mende speakers gain literacy skills, they will pass on their knowledge, spreading God’s Word and creating a ripple effect of transformation among believers and non-believers alike.
Equip Leaders to Transform Communities
Empowered leaders play a vital role in fostering spiritual growth and community transformation. They train others to teach literacy, lead Bible listening groups, and inspire their churches to engage deeply with God’s Word in the Mende language. By equipping leaders with the tools they need, the program ensures lasting impact and sustainable growth within the Mende-speaking community.
Program Goals
- Supervise and Expand Literacy Programs
- Deepen Scripture Engagement
- Create and Distribute Learning Materials
- Celebrate the Mende Language and Culture
- Foster Sustainable Community Programs
Program Plan
Step 1
Build Literacy Foundations
- Train and mentor local facilitators to expand programs.
- Hold Pre-Primer workshops to start new literacy classes in Kakua and Niawah Lenga.
- Conduct Primer 2, Primer 3, and Transitional workshops for current classes.
- Supervise 30 literacy classes to ensure quality teaching.
Step 2
Strengthen Scripture Engagement
- Train church workers to use the Mende Bible in children’s ministries and churches.
- Establish six Bible listening groups through workshops.
- Facilitate workshops for Scripture songs and dramatized Bible stories.
Step 3
Develop and Celebrate Community Resources
- Explore sustainability projects, such as literacy farms, to support long-term goals.
- Host International Mother Tongue Day and Literacy Day events.
- Create and distribute teaching materials, Mende calendars, and primers for literacy programs.
Meet the Local Team
Team Members
• Rev. James B. Yasseh – Chairman
• Pastor James Kaindane – Vice Chairman & Literacy Facilitator
• Mrs. Christiana A. Jones – General Secretary
• Mr. Foday Momoh – General Secretary
• Madam Baby Yasseh – Treasurer
Team Members
• Mr. Joselyn Kobba – Accountant
• Pastor Philip Cowah – Secretary
• Mr. Samuel S. Dumbuya – Operations Manager
• Avril Hancils – CAP Officer
• Omega A. Sesay – Youth and Programs Officer
Team Members
• Mr. Musah Koroma – Children’s Ministry Facilitator
• Madam Alice Thomas – Women’s Ministry Leader
• Madam Mary Ngadie – Vice Women’s Ministry Leader
• Harrison Bundor – Youth Leader
• Mariatu Brewah – Team Member
• 14 Additional Literacy Facilitators
Partner Organizations
Honoring the Language
Mende (Mɛnde yia), also known as Boumpe, Hulo, Kossa, and Kosso, belongs to the Southwestern group of the Mande branch of the Niger-Congo language family.
Four mutually intelligible dialects: Ko, Kpa, Sewawa, Waanjama
Seven vowel phonemes, i.e., sounds that distinguish word meaning
Mende is a tonal language. Four tones marked by diacritics as follows: high, low, rising-falling, falling-rising.
Program Progress
Literacy education will empower Mende speakers to engage with the written Word of God.
