Wycliffe Canada’s work is focused around four key “pillars” that help strengthen individual believers and churches around the world, as they gain access to God’s Word in the language they know best. These pillars include Bible translation, literacy, engagement with Scripture and capacity building. Throughout March, we’ll feature a brief overview of each pillar and share stories that illustrate how they are making a difference for language groups across the globe.
When people can read Scripture in a language they clearly understand, they can better interact with it and integrate it into their lives. That’s why literacy programs often go hand in hand with Bible translation. And when they gain access to other translated resources like Bible studies and devotional materials, local churches thrive spiritually.
Literacy also benefits the broader community. It can preserve previously unwritten languages and help record traditional forms of oral history and storytelling. Literacy is also an important part of life-saving health and hygiene promotion and helps subsistence farmers grow more productively and sustainable. In a rapidly changing world, literacy opens doors to education, economic empowerment and a better life for the next generation.
The following story from a Wycliffe-supported project in Southwest Asia shows how literacy can open doors for a brighter future.
“I didn’t think I could read or write, but now, with the teacher’s help and practice, I can do it!”
Aqila* is a student at one of the Northern Warmi* women’s centres, located in a fertile, sun-drenched region of Southwest Asia. Here, women from marginalized backgrounds are finding hope through literacy, sewing, and Bible stories told in their own language.
For many Northern Warmi women, life is difficult. They have very little access to education or training opportunities, so most take on low-paying agricultural jobs. If they leave their community for school or work, they often encounter injustice and abuse.
Photo: Wycliffe Canada
Even simple tasks like buying groceries or receiving their wages become opportunities for exploitation. A vendor may hand them the wrong change, or their employer may hand them unfair wages, knowing that they can’t read the numbers on the currency.
“[These women] have fewer opportunities to learn and be educated,” says Naheed,* the team leader of the women’s centres. This bothered him, and as he and other members of the Northern Warmi language project spent time travelling to villages throughout the region, an idea came to them: “God put in our heart that . . . why don’t we help some of these women?”
They began working to establish two local centres where women could receive the literacy training they didn’t have access to as children. The women would also learn to sew, a skill that would help them save money and earn an income. Most importantly, they would hear Bible stories about a God who loves them and wants them to flourish.
Literacy takes off among Northern Warmi women
Since the project launched, mother-tongue literacy has taken off among Northern Warmi women. Layla,* who attends a literacy class at one of the centres, shared, “I didn’t think I could read or write, but now, with the teacher’s help and practice, I can do it. Learning was hard, but I tried and proved to myself that even difficult things can happen with hard work and persistence!”
Photo: Wycliffe Canada
Another young woman, Farah,* is enrolled in both literacy and sewing classes. She recently shared that, “reading is good, and learning to sew is good, too.” Farah is beginning to see the value of both education and practical skills. Beth,* the language project co-ordinator, explains, “This simple statement shows her awareness that both are needed for personal growth and empowerment.”
But the impact goes beyond learning practical skills. As these women are trained to read and sew—tools that will help them support their families and ensure they are paid fairly—they are also learning spiritual truths. Bible stories woven into their training show them their worth, and some are beginning to respond.
One young woman who completed the program expressed her gratitude, saying, “We thank God that we are not only learning sewing here but also learning about Jesus.”
“We thank God that we are not only learning sewing here but also learning about Jesus.”
Her joy was unmistakable, reflecting the transformation the centre had brought to her life. Beth added, “Then, to our surprise, she recited the Lord’s Prayer. It was a reminder that these centres are not just about equipping women with practical skills, but also about planting seeds of faith and hope.”
*pseudonyms
For further reading on the importance of mother-tongue literacy, check out stories.wycliffe.ca/stories/4-reasons