Cameroon

The Banen live in two heavily-forested, hillside areas in central Cameroon. The people are determined and hardworking but have limited resources and opportunities. Poverty is widespread with an average life expectancy of only 48 years.

Although Christianity was introduced to this area about 80 years ago, all church activities were held in foreign languages, especially Bible reading. Today, many Banen are Christians but are unable to clearly understand God’s Word as it is still not in their own language, often weakening their faith and leaving them spiritually fragile. In order for the Banen to truly understand God’s truth, there remains a pressing need for a Bible in their mother tongue, Tunen, and a literacy programme.

The Tunen project has enormous potential to radically change the Banen’s lives forever. With your help, we are gradually achieving this, but it is essential to see the project through to completion.

The project aims to translate the New Testament and selected portions of the Old Testament into Tunen, plus develop a church and community-sponsored literacy programme. A donation of just £15 could potentially pay for the translation of a couple of verses, £70 could bring a passage to life, for example, the feeding of the 5,000, and £30 could help translate one of Jesus’ parables.

Your support to date has led to a successful translation of Luke’s Gospel which has brought great satisfaction to the community; many say it “makes the Bible come alive”. An elderly man, Papa Bissiongol, was so moved that he shared how in the early days of independence, it would have been unthinkable to even consider the possibility of the Tunen mother tongue having a writing system. He concluded that it was a great privilege for the Banen to have their language developed and that it is essential they continue to promote it.

On another occasion, 40 women were in attendance when a literacy teacher read aloud a portion from the Tunen Luke Gospel. When she finished, the women started clapping, they were so overwhelmed that someone had just read the Word of God to them and they could really understand the message from it.

As the Banen look forward to the day when the translation will be complete, they rely on our continued support and prayers. Your donations will bring hope and light to the Banen people, transform lives through the use of translated Scriptures, and affect positive change and progress in the community through literacy.

Latest news