MegaVoice leads to literacy
From SPARK
Contents |
Unpublished
NOTE: This story needs field approval before it can be made public....Phil Baer, 17 July 2007.
Summary
This is a field report about using the MegaVoice in Burkina Faso.
Introduction
I read a highly informative technical report in a newsletter from Vernacular Media Services[#fn1 1]. The subject was MegaVoice's new digital audio player. The title of the newsletter was the “Ambassador.” The purpose of this story is to present good reasons for choosing the Ambassador product. Specifically, for use among the Turka people of Burkina Faso. We will also share our impressions of how people are receiving this product.
Our project began in 1993 with some language survey and some preliminary language learning. In 1995 we moved to a village location and began language analysis. In 2001, we started translation and attempted to initiate literacy. We found, however, obstacles to promoting literacy in the Turka community were numerous. Not the least being a general apathy toward literacy in a low-group, low-grid socio-political community.
We were without a literacy specialist to develop literacy materials. Nor did we have an appropriate literacy program designed for the Turka people. Therefore, we found ourselves thinking of promoting Scripture through audio media. Using cassettes came to mind. But there were critical problems with this strategy. One problem was the on-going cost of supplying batteries for the players. There was also the initial problem of buying the players in the first place! Then, we heard about the MegaVoice player's combination of a built-in solar panel with rechargeable batteries. For this reason, the MegaVoice player immediately caught our attention. Consequently, this year we launched our “pilot” project to test them out.
What was done
The Turka Christian community is very small. There are about one hundred believers living in 15 villages and towns. They are scattered throughout a wide geographical area. Most Turka believers attend multi-ethnic churches. Services are directed in French and Jula (the main trade language). There are no Turka pastors. Few Turka have leadership positions in the churches they attend. Our relationship with the pastors of these churches has been somewhat awkward and superficial. Neither of us knew just how our respective work domains could intersect with each others’. So, we began focusing on an audio-based approach to promoting Scripture. Then opportunities involving local pastors, and a wide variety of Turka believers, began steadily growing. Here is the short list of our partnership activities:
- Hosting a Scripture recording session.
- Hosting a Scripture-based transfer literacy seminar.
- Hosting a Scripture-based music workshop.
- Managing the distribution of the MegaVoice players and cassettes
- Recovering the players for re-programming (once a new message is available for loading).
Partnership
My wife and I, and our specialists, provide the technical expertise and finances. Our specialists include Mary Hendershott, in Ethnomusicology, and Ken and Audrey Josling, in Vernacular Media. The churches’ contribute and provide the logistic, motivational and organizational ground support.
This, our first MegaVoice recording. It contains an introductory message explaining how to use the player. Then it tells how the Bible came to us. This is followed by dramatized readings from Genesis chapters 1-17. There are Scripture-based songs interspersed with some concluding comments.
We purchased 50 MegaVoice players to be a type of “audio library” resource for their congregation. We placed them in the hands of local pastors. Now, Turka believers can come to their pastor to “check out” the players. They can check them out for two-weeks at a time. Naturally, both believers and unbelievers are encouraged to listen to the Scripture message with others.
Questions arising from the Scripture message are to be brought to the pastor. Admittedly, this phase is somewhat problematic since the pastor doesn’t speak Turka. Hence the question session will be conducted in Jula. Nevertheless, we wanted to send a clear message of affirmation to the local pastors. The program’s goal is not to undermine their authority over, and responsibility for their flock. Rather, the MegaVoice players are a means for them to better fulfill their responsibilities. Their responsibilities are both in teaching and in evangelism. The pastors have shown much eagerness to obtain MegaVoice players for their churches. Therefore, it seems that this connection has been made.
One of the pastors from the Assemblies of God churches, approached us after one meeting. He said, “I don’t have any Turka in my church. However,I do have a few Turka neighbours who aren’t Christians.” Then he asked, “Is it ok if I take a player to lend out to them?” This is the kind of news that brightens your day! During a follow-up visit with one pastor he reported about three of his players. He said all three were snapped up immediately after the church service. The pastor will be keeping a sign-out list, tracking who’s currently using the players. This should also give us a good indication of how much demand there is for the units.
Results
The first reactions to listening to the message on the players have been overwhelmingly positive. Comments like, “This is good Turka” and “God’s Word is sweet!” abound. While observing people listening to the message, it is clear that listeners are engaged. This is indicated from their voicing the common “tracking” interjections. Cassette copies of the same recording have also been made and are available for purchase. Cassettes have the advantage of being very low cost ($1 US). Thus, they are an inexpensive means of evangelism. Cassette players also provide a louder volume for larger group-listening. MegaVoice players are appropriate for five to six people in a quiet environment. In a noisy environment they are appropriate for one person.
We have just completed a two-week tour of the Turka region. We visited churches and promoted the MegaVoice players and cassettes. Ironically, during one of our first visits, a fear was voiced. Someone feared we would only be distributing the Scriptures in audio format. Would we also, one day, print a “real” Bible? Reassurances were given. Discussion ensued. The end result was somewhat ironic. There seems to be an interest in learning how to read after all! Go figure!
Literacy
We have quickly responded by planning two church-based transfer literacy courses. These courses will be designed around the audio program. In particular, the course will place a big emphasis on reading Scripture aloud. The goal will be to choose readers/actors for our next Scripture recording session. Written scripts will be distributed at the end of the course. This will allow actors to practice their lines before the next recording session. The course’s focus on finding readers for future recording sessions is intentionally designed. It is designed to enable participants to think beyond themselves. To think beyond the immediate spiritual benefits they will reap. Benefits, for instance, of knowing how to read the Bible. Instead, we encourage them to dream about the possibilities of influencing many others for Christ. We feel that this will greatly boost the motivation factor for learning how to read.
The Ambassador MegaVoice players are re-programmable. New messages can be added as they become available. We purchased units capable of holding 40 hours of material. The question then becomes, “How do we retrieve the units to re-program them?” This is where our partnership with the churches will serve us well. Pastors have committed to bringing the units back to a central location. That is, once a new message is prepared and ready for distribution.
Some of the more well-to-do Turka from the cities have asked to buy MegaVoice units for themselves. (We are offering a 75% subsidy.) One such person is Adrian Sourabie. Adrian has a vision for using MegaVoice players. Her vision is for pre-evangelism. Especially, preparing the soil of people’s hearts prior to hearing the call to repentance. She brings them to a more formal setting, such as during an open-air evangelism meeting.
We are in the midst of trying to evaluate a variety of possible VM products. In particular, “God’s Story” and “The Way of Righteousness” radio series. It is our hope that our various seminars we give us opportunities to further engage the Turka believers. We want to encourage them to decide for themselves which product would meet their needs. One idea floating around is to develop a church-based literacy program. It would be a program based on “The Way of Righteousness.” We may duplicate copies of “The Way of Righteousness” radio series. It is already available in French. We hope this will further tighten our relationship with local pastors.
MegaVoice also produces a smaller, less-expensive player called the “Messenger.” The Messenger is powered by a (non-rechargeable) button-cell battery. It can hold messages up to one and a half hours in length. We are contemplating putting “God’s Story” on Messenger units. Then we will give them to the churches as a means of evangelism.
The Ambassador player itself is not cheap. Think in terms of U. S. dollars. The base unit costs about 34 dollars.(Prices depend on the quantity of units ordered and the amount of memory needed.) Shipping and customs add another six dollars. That totals 40 dollars per unit. So, it should be clear why we are entrusting the players to the churches. Despite the cost, we are convinced, for our particular situation, the investment will be worth it.
By
Internal notes:
April 8, 06 jvd Make a product page for MegaVoice for Turka April 7, 2006 mkb copied from an email Peter Nash had and put original in Internal Notes: In VMN #20, Roger Green gave a highly informative technical report of Megavoice’s new digital audio player, the “Ambassador??. The purpose of this article is to present the reasons we have chosen to use the Ambassador product among the Turka people of Burkina Faso. We will also share our impressions of how people are receiving this product.
Our project began in 1993 with some language survey and some preliminary language learning. In 1995 we moved to a village location and began language analysis. In 2001, we started translation and attempted to initiate literacy. We found, however, that the obstacles to promoting literacy in the Turka community were numerous, not the least being a general apathy toward literacy in a low-group, low-grid socio-political community. Not having any literacy specialist to develop literacy materials and design an appropriate literacy program for the Turka people, we found ourselves thinking of promoting Scripture through audio media. Using cassettes came to mind, but the critical problem with this strategy is the on-going cost of supplying batteries for the players (let alone buying the player in the first place!) For this reason, the Megavoice player with its combination of a built-in solar panel with rechargeable batteries immediately caught our attention once we heard about it. Consequently, this year we launched our “pilot?? project to test them out.
The Turka Christian community is very small – perhaps numbering 100 believers scattered among 15 villages plus some towns in a wide geographical area. There are no Turka pastors; most Turka believers attend multi-ethnic churches whose services are directed in French and Jula (the main trade language). Few Turka have leadership positions in the churches they attend. Our relationship with the pastors of these churches has been somewhat awkward and superficial since neither of us quite knew just how our respective work domains could intersect with each others’. However, ever since we started focusing on an audio-based approach to promoting Scripture, opportunities to involve local pastors, as well as a wide variety of Turka believers, have been steadily growing. Here is the short list of our partnership activities:
1) Hosting a Scripture recording session. 2) Hosting a Scripture-based transfer literacy seminar. 3) Hosting a Scripture-based music workshop. 4) Managing the distribution of the Megavoice players and cassettes, including recuperating the players for re-programming (once a new message is available for loading).
The contribution of SIL Burkina Faso – meaning my wife and I, plus specialists in Ethnomusicology (Mary Hendershott) and Vernacular Media (Ken & Audrey Joslin) – is to provide the technical expertise and finances for these activies; the churches’ contribution is to provide the logistic, motivational and organizational ground support.
This, our first Megavoice recording, contains an introductory message explaining how to use the player and how the Bible came to us. This is followed by dramatized readings from Genesis chapters 1-17 along with some interspersed Scripture-based songs and some concluding comments. We purchased 50 Megavoice players and have placed them in the hands of local pastors as a type of “audio library?? resource for their congregation. The intention is that Turka believers can come to their pastor to “check out?? a player for two-weeks at a time. Naturally, the borrowers are encouraged to listen to the Scripture message with others – both believers and unbelievers. Questions arising from the Scripture message are to be brought to the pastor. Admittedly, this phase is somewhat problematic since the pastor doesn’t speak Turka, hence the question session will be conducted in Jula. Nevertheless, we wanted to send a clear message of affirmation to the local pastors that our program’s goal is not to undermine their authority over, and responsibility for their flock, but rather, the Megavoice players are a means for them to better fulfill their responsibilities, both in teaching and in evangelism. Judging from the eagerness with which the pastors have sought to obtain Megavoice players for their churches, it seems that this connection has been made. After one meeting with the pastors from the Assemblies of God churches, a pastor approached us and said, “I don’t have any Turka in my church, but I do have a few Turka neighbours who aren’t Christians. Is it ok if I take a player to lend out to them??? This is the kind of news that brightens your day! During a follow-up visit with one pastor he reported that all three of his players were snapped up immediately after the church service. The pastor will be maintaining a sign-out list to keep track of who’s currently using the players. This should also give us a good indication of how much demand there is for the units.
The first reactions to listening to the message on the players have been overwhelmingly positive. Comments like, “This is good Turka!?? and “God’s Word is sweet!?? abound. While observing people listening to the message, it is clear that listeners are engaged as indicated from their voicing the common “tracking?? interjections. Cassette copies of the same recording have also been made and are available for purchase. Cassettes have the advantage of being very low cost ($1 US), and thus are an inexpensive means of evangelism. Also, cassette players provide a louder volume for larger group-listening. Megavoice players are appropriate for 5-6 people in a quiet environment, or 1 person in a noisy environment.
We have just completed a two-week tour of the Turka region, visiting churches and promoting the Megavoice players and cassettes. Ironically, during one of our 1st visits, a fear was voiced that we would only be distributing the Scriptures in audio format. Would we also, one day, print a “real?? Bible? Reassurances were given, discussion ensued, with the end result that (ironically!) there seems to be an interest in learning how to read after all! Go figure! As a consequence, we have quickly responded by planning two church-based transfer literacy courses. These courses will be designed around the audio program. In particular, the course will place a big emphasis on reading Scripture aloud with the goal of choosing readers/actors for our next Scripture recording session. Written scripts will be distributed at the end of the course so that actors can practice their lines before the next recording session. The course’s focus on finding readers for future recording sessions is intentionally designed to enable the participants to think beyond the immediate spiritual benefit that they themselves will reap from knowing how to read the Bible, and instead, will enable them to dream about the possibilities of influencing many others for Christ. We feel that this will greatly boost the motivation factor for learning how to read.
The Ambassador Megavoice players are re-programmable; new messages can be added as they become available. We purchased units capable of holding 40 hours of material. The question then becomes, “How do we retrieve the units to re-program them??? This is where our partnership with the churches will serve us well: pastors have committed to bringing the units back to a central location once a new message is prepared and ready for distribution.
Some of the more well-to-do Turka from the cities have asked to buy Megavoice units for themselves. (We are offering a 75% subsidy.) One such person is Adrian Sourabie. Adrian has a vision for using Megavoice players for pre-evangelism, as a means of preparing the soil of people’s hearts prior to hearing the call to repentance in a more formal setting (such as during an open-air evangelism meeting.)
We are in the midst of trying to evaluate a variety of possible VM products, in particular, “God’s Story?? and “The Way of Righteousness?? radio series. It is our hope that during our various seminars we will have opportunity to further engage the Turka believers in deciding for themselves which product would be most desirable for them and their needs. One idea which is floating around is to develop a church-based literacy program based on “The Way of Righteousness??. As a further means of tightening our relationship with local pastors, we may duplicate copies of “The Way of Righteousness?? radio series (which is already available in French.)
Megavoice also produces a smaller, less-expensive player called the “Messenger??. The Messenger is powered by a (non-rechargeable) button-cell battery and can hold messages up to 1½ hours in length. We are contemplating putting “God’s Story?? on Messenger units and giving them to the churches as a means of evangelism.
The Ambassador player itself is not cheap. The base unit cost about $34 US. (Prices depend on the quantity of units ordered and the amount of memory needed.) Shipping and customs add another $6 US. With a total cost of $40 US per unit, it should be clear why we have adapted the strategy of entrusting the players to the churches. Despite the fairly big cost, we are convinced that for our particular situation the investment will be well worth it.
