It was Friday afternoon on June 7th, 2019, and it was testing day at Dankawalie Secondary School library in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. Ten adult mother-tongue-literacy learners had come to demonstrate that they had mastered level 2 of the Institute of Sierra Leone Languages' (TISLL)'s book series in Kuranko literacy.
TISLL's evaluator, Rev. Frederick Jones, was present along with the class teachers, Alusine H. Kamara and Balla Musa Kargbo. The SELI director was also there because SELI initiated the teacher training, has supported the class with materials, and brought the evaluator to the village. This was a big day for all of us.
The certificates were given out by the Regent Paramount Chief by the massive cotton tree at the center of the village. Hawa Kargbo, the only woman in the group, appealed to the women in the audience to consider joining her in the class so they could give each other confidence. This was good evidence to everyone that the "graduates" have no intention of graduating. At TISLL's urging, using their new-found literacy, the class is putting together a book of proverbs and short personal accounts for publication as a reader. Some are interested in going on to learn English.
SELI has initiated and supported this program because languages without a firm literary population tend to die out as cultural change takes place, and people ought to, by right, be given the opportunity to learn to read and write their own languages. The program is going on (another dozen or so adult learners are now working at level 1), but it needs to be funded. If you have an interest in the continuation of the Kuranko literacy class at Dankawalie, please consider making a donation to SELI for that purpose. We need your help! Please contact me at jackie@seli.co .
The Institute for Sierra Leone Languages could also use your support. While we at SELI are very pleased with TISLL's willingness to help with the Dankawalie Kuranko class, Kuranko is not currently one of the languages TISLL works with. For a Kuranko literacy program to be started up at multiple places in the Northern Province that language needs to be funded at TISLL.
