Avatime of Ghana

The Avatime speakers live in the mountainous southeastern region of Ghana, also known as the Southern Volta region. The literacy rate of the Avatime is less than one percent. People of this region were introduced to Christianity about 100 years ago, and most churches are either Presbyterian or Roman Catholic. Less than 10 percent of the population attends church regularly, although an additional number are nominal Christians. Traditional religion, with spirit possession, is widely practiced alongside Christianity, and believers often mix the religious practices together. The Bible is available in the regional language of Ewe, however the average Avatime church goer doesn’t understand Ewe well enough to grasp Biblical concepts. The team expects to complete the New Testament in only nine years using a related translation, the Leleme as a source text.

  • Pray that God will give the team wisdom and guidance to understand and translate Jewish customs and other biblical unknowns clearly in the Avatime language as they move ahead on the New Testament translation.

  • Since literacy is so low, pray for the editing of literacy primers, which is in progress, and the starting of trial literacy classes in all villages so that people can learn to read the approved alphabet.

  • Pray that the information shared at a recent workshop will help other teams as they study their own phonology and grammar in preparation to translate the Scriptures.

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