The BTA literacy unit conducted an adult literacy workshop in the Kaekalo language on the Maopa Circuit in August 2008. The workshop was hosted by the Maopa Women’s Fellowship Group for two weeks. There were 32 participants who attended the workshop and they all showed great interest by producing 32 story books in their Keakalo language.

The above Pastor Rev. Seri Frank has been serving for over 30 years preaching the Word in Hiri Motu, one of the national languages in PNG. On the first day of the workshop he cancelled all his other commitments and stayed in the workshop as an observer. He watched very closely all that happened in the workshop and before the end of the workshop he picked up the first book produced at the workshop in the Keakalo language. He did not stop reading because the taste was different in this language. Then during the closing ceremony, he said, "The Gospel has been in this language area for over 40 years but now it is time to make it taste different in its real simple mother tongue flavour. And literacy is like a machine that produces a new kind of ingredient that will make the Word spread fast and save many lost souls".  Then he also commented that the literacy workshop opened his eyes to see a bigger revival rolling towards the Aroma coast in the Maopa circuit Central Province.

Then the 32 participants who attended the workshop were happy (as before, they had no Keakalo alphabet as their own for use in their Keakalo language.)  Now, after using the Keakalo alphabet in the workshop and producing 32 books in their own language, they were very happy that now their own Keakalo language has books in their language to read.  That is amazing to see 32 books produced within 10 days in  this remote village where there is no factory. If we continue to have more literacy workshops in this village we will be able to overcome some of the problems that the elementary schools are facing in the country.   A Workshop is like a small factory in villages to provide materials and strengthen the elementary schools in  very remote areas in PNG.

Thank you BTA for conducting the workshop in this village and we look forward to more of these workshops conducted in villages in the future.
 
Story written by Simon Savaiko
BTA Literacy Co-ordinator 2008.