Bible literacy workshop opens in Accra

Accra, Oct 13, GNA- A three-week trainer of trainees International Bible literacy workshop for members of various churches and community organisations opened in Accra on Monday.

The workshop, the second of its kind is to take place in Africa aimed at training participants to stimulate literacy and reading of vernacular scriptures.

About 60 participants from sixteen African countries Ghana, Togo, Benin, La Cote D'Iviore, Rwanda, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Kenya, Cameroun, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Brazzaville, Mali, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Senegal are attending the workshop. It is being organised by the Bible Society of Ghana (BSG) in collaboration with Literacy and Evangelism International of Tulsa in the United States.

Topics to be discussed include literacy material development, gender promotion programmes, capacity building, training and research. Mr David Hammond, Secretary of the United Bible Society (UBS) based in Togo said education was fundamental to sustainable development, therefore UBS was trying to minimise the illiteracy rate. He said the programme was opened to everyone regardless of gender, religion or age.

Reverend Kofi Owusu, General Secretary of the BSG, said it was a challenge to African countries to help reduce illiteracy in their societies.

He said BSG translates, publishes and distributes Bibles and other religious books, therefore, training people to read these translations would add value to its work.

Rev Owusu said the participants would also build upon experiences from previous Bible literacy workshops and help promote the development of writing and translation.