Can you read this?? - Part 2

So, I had another blog post planned, but the events of the week have pre-empted my earlier idea - which will come in a preceeding post. Nor had I planned a series on my previous blog 'Can you read this?' . . . but life continues to fluctuate and change; hence, so does my ministry.

In a previous post, I wrote of the Fulfulde literacy primer that I am helping to write and the class that I am looking forward to teaching. The timeline on this has been extended, but I am hoping to start with this ministry in what you call spring!

But since then, another new and exciting opportunity has presented itself: phonetic fulfulde in arabic script. I know some Fulani who are reading and writing this script - using the arabic letter phonetic sounds and matching them to Fulfulde letter phonetic sounds. The result is writing that those who do not know to read Roman script, can sound out and understand!

This past week, I attended a course on what is called 'Ajamiya Script' - the name for the phonetic fulfulde. An International Worker with the Fulani in Cameroun came to Niger and held this class. My week was mostly spent learning to sound out arabic letters - learning to read and write in Fulfulde myself! Hopefully one day soon, we will have materials to teach people to read and write either Roman script Fulfulde or Ajamiya . . . teaching them to read the Bible in their heart language, in whatever form is easiest for them.

A fair amount of people here read the arabic script - they learn in the Qu'ranic schools - however, for those who do not attend the full six years . . . they are mostly sounding out the phonetics of the words with no understanding. This makes sense - they don't speak arabic, so there is no meaning to the words; it would be much the same as my reading a German or Spanish book - I know most of the phonetics to pronounce the words, but I do not understand the meaning of what I read.

I went home the first day of class and asked my Fulani guard if he could read arabic script. He said yes 'some', so I brought out my book. He sounded out one word: wuro - and then excitedly proclaimed: This is Fulfulde!!! So he started reading down the column of words I had written that day. After a moment, he noticed the printed arabic script in another column and jumped over there - 'Oh, this is much easier to read', he said. Well, I need to work more on my writing skills!

Thursday brought a twist to life here in Niger - while I was at said conference, a military group launched a coup d'état. In moving to Niger, I knew in the back of my head that this was a possibility - there have been coups in Niger before and in surrounding African countries - but it is a completely different thing to live the possibility! For those who have not heard the news, the BBC news site is a good source of information. I and my team are fine and life is returning back to normal here.

But, the day following the coup, as I sat at home and tried to focus on work - I thought that I would practice what I learned and write out a verse for my Fulani guard that night . . . wanting something that would calm my heart and his. So, I chose to write out Psalm 103:6-8 - seen below in English, Fulfulde Roman Script and the Arabic script:

The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, His deeds to the people of Israel. The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

Joomirawo no waɗa ko darti, omo naatana ɓe ngalaa semmbe fuu. O wannginanii annabi Muusa laabi makko, ɓiɓɓe Isra'el duu, golle makko mawɗe ɗeen. Joomiraawo no jurmotooɗo, moƴƴuɗo, keewɗo hidde mo ɓerne mum yaawaa.

Jabuura 103:6-8

That evening I showed the verses to my Fulani guard. He sounded out some of the words and asked me to read the verses. Then he stood there and looked at the piece of paper. And asked me quietly to read it again. And again he stood there silently looking at the paper. I asked him if he would like to have the paper, to which he responded affirmatively. 'This is for me to hold (keep), mine, I can have this??'.

Though earlier this week, I could not read arabic script in phonetic Fulfulde, my eyes and brain are learning to associate the script to the words I know. And already there are those who can indeed read this script and what I will write as I practice this more.