Partners
Prayer Partners:
7 Current
3 Needed
Total Opportunity:
$74,870 Funded
$89,327 Needed
Demographics
- Location:
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Speakers:
- 599,000
- Start Year:
- 2009
- End Year:
- 2010
Reports to Investors
Kru IG Cluster
Languages participating in this cluster:
- Bete, Gagnoa
- Bete, Guiberoua
- Godie
- We Southern
Emerging from the shadow of their country’s civil war in 2002, many people groups find themselves trying to heal a wounded nation. Many people still feel tense, suspicious and bitter because of losses and violations they experienced during the war. Local people have lost land, churches and literacy centers to disgruntled vigilantes. Disarmament is still in process, so life in the region is still unstable. The church needs a clear expression of the gospel that can be quickly shared throughout the community during this time of reconciliation, healing and forgiveness.
The Kru Cluster project will bring believers together from four related language groups to translate the four Gospels at an accelerated pace. This will bring a clear message of God’s hope to the community quickly and serve as a foundation for broader translation in the region.
Because many poorer people in the region don’t read and because singing is the traditional medium for communicating truth, the translators will put many Scriptures to music. The churches can immediately start using God’s Word as people memorize the songs sung in church.
In addition to being culturally appropriate for these groups, this cluster project is the first of its kind in Côte d’Ivoire. Such a model has potential to transform and revitalize the Bible translation movement throughout the country. If successful, it could be replicated in other language groups and by other churches, which could greatly accelerate the completion of Bible translation throughout Côte d’Ivoire.
News from the Field
- Mar02
Kru of Cote d'Ivoire
In the past thirty years, linguists from around the world translated the New Testament into a handful of the 20 Kru languages spoken in Southwestern Côte d’Ivoire. However, in 2002, civil war erupted, and most expat missionaries left, bringing most translation work to an abrupt halt. Realizing that if the Bible were to finally be translated into their languages they would have to do it themselves, believers from four Kru languages formed a team. - Dec01
Kru Project of Côte d’Ivoire
About 25% of the Kru population considers themselves Christians. Regional beliefs are common. One local religion requires ancestor worship, and some people also revere water sources as spiritual places. Migrant workers coming from neighboring countries have brought another major world religion into the Kru area as well.