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| Some Jita women in a village |
They are finishing Luke and Ruth, and are working on Acts.
You can be praying that: The people would choose to serve God alone and not trust in other religions or spirits to help them.
Population: 205,000 Jita people
Religions: Christian, a few Muslims, and people who practice traditional religion.
There are a lot of people who go to church, but many of these people also follow their traditional religion too. In the traditional Jita religion, people often worship their deceased ancestors. They also go into small groves of trees to worship spirits.
The Jita are spread out over a large area, and many live along the lake. They are good fisherman. The Jita are one of the largest people groups in the Mara Region.
The New Testament was translated into Jita a long time ago, BUT the people who did it actually used three different languages without knowing it! Because of this, it is very difficult for people to read this book and understand this version. Most people were never taught how to read their language, either. A new copy is being made, this time making sure it is ALL in Jita so the people can understand it!
Here are a few stories AND a video
about the Ikizu people and translation work.
This is a video of a translator from America helping the Jita to learn how to read their own language. She is speaking Swahili, so that everyone can understand... but you can read what she says in English on the screen below! Since many people never learned how to read or write Jita, teaching people to read their language is an important first step in helping them understand their Bible!
about the Ikizu people and translation work.
This is a video of a translator from America helping the Jita to learn how to read their own language. She is speaking Swahili, so that everyone can understand... but you can read what she says in English on the screen below! Since many people never learned how to read or write Jita, teaching people to read their language is an important first step in helping them understand their Bible!
Meet the TRANSLATORS!
This is Magesa. Magesa is very serious and focused at work. But outside the office, he is very energetic and he rarely sits still! He is an excellent soccer player. Magesa is married and has six young children plus his niece (whose mom is sick) to take care of. His wife lives in the village with their children because she needs to help take care of Magesa's brother too, but Magesa goes home about once a month to visit.
This is Neema. (Neema means "Grace" in Swahili.) She is really good at using computers and likes to help out the guys on the team when they get confused! Neema enjoys helping out everyone around her, such as taking people's cups after tea time or volunteering to lead prayer. She loves to sing and she spends a lot of her free time working with her church choir.
This is Magoma. He likes to ask lots of questions about the Bible, and wants to learn what each verse means as they translate it. Magoma is a slow, careful worker who REALLY struggles with his computer! He is married and has eight children. They range in age from their late teens to a very young child.
