Flight of the Blackboards

Loading the cargo, including
the blackboard collection (H.Schulz)

Before my most recent flight to the village, I had packed two blackboards (90cm x 120cm) and sent them ahead to Aviation. They were wrapped in plastic, ready for their canoe ride after landing. When I arrived at Aviation I was surprised to see a pair of boards, without their plastic wrap. I need that wrap for the boat ride! Looking closer I saw a pile of personal sized blackboards beside it and remembered that the Kasua team was sending out literacy supplies. Looking more closely again, I saw that it was labelled for the Kaluli team. It was the flight of the blackboards! Two for Kaluli, two for Kope, six big boards for Kasua and piles of small boards too.

While amused by the collection it was a clear reminder of the importance of literacy in the work we do. Here were three different teams putting together supplies to ship them to remote locations for the local community to use in their vernacular literacy programmes. The blackboards are a sign that other literacy efforts are in place. Local teachers have been trained, books have been written and printed, curriculums have been developed, but more resources are always needed.

Day one using the blackboard (H.Schulz)

Who pays for these resources? Most often it is the expat translator working with the language community. Often the community will contribute, but the expat carried the bulk of the expense. Where do we get our funds from? Mostly it comes from family and friends at home who believe in the work we do and support us financially*. The Kasua team had a special fundraising effort to pay for these literacy materials. There are some project funds available for literacy, but they are for specific things such as printing books. The purchase and the flight costs of blackboards are not usually covered.

Sometimes there is funding that comes from local government to support local literacy efforts. I had been speaking with a friend about this happening in her area the day before my flight. Sadly, hers was a tale of corruption and vanishing funds. Large amounts had been given, but not been received at the community level. Changes in the committee managing the funds had only made things worse. Currently she is choosing not to go to her language area until the problem is sorted out, to keep herself as far from the mess as possible. I am sure there are other circumstances where the government funds reach the village literacy programme and are used well, but not in this case. It makes me sad when the government has the will to help, but the help is not received and people continue to struggle with literacy.

My blackboards are for translation rather than literacy
and allow everyone to read and contribute to the
draft as it is written. (H.Schulz)

Literacy is a skill that opens the world to people, giving access to many things. Starting to learn to read and write in the language people are most familiar with is the best foundation. Once they have learnt these skills, they can then take on new languages, new ideas and the whole world in a whole different way. As we fly blackboards across the country, we do so to help the remote and forgotten people have access to the world beyond their village. We are also doing it to let them know that their language and culture is just as worthy of writing as any other language in the world.

 *If you would like to support my work in Bible translation (including literacy) with the Kope people, please contact Wycliffe Australia or the Lutheran Church ofAustralia