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MinistryContents
General Information
Sam has a population of about 650 people. There are three other languages close to Sam, called Bonggu, Yanggalam, and Male, that have a combined population of 2200 (as of the 2000 National Census). Total number of people impacted by the language program will be in the neighborhood of 2800. (back to top) Daily LifeThe people in the Sam area, and throughout much of the rural areas of Papua New Guinea, are subsistence farmers. They use slash and burn agriculture to make their gardens, and are dependent on their environment for sufficient sun and rain to grow the food they need for the year. They also enjoy hunting for wild pig, cuscus, wallaby, and possum. There are rivers nearby to all three Sam villages, and the people often go down to the river, dam up a section, and put poison from a certain type of tree in the water in order to catch fish. The poison doesn't kill the fish, but it makes them very sluggish, and then the people can easily catch the fish in their hands. They also fish with a bamboo pole and fishing line. There is no running water (except for the rivers), so people go to the rivers to bathe, and to wash clothes, dishes, and pots. They get their drinking water from one of several underground springs near the river. Currently an aid agency is working in Buan to construct hygenic pit toilets and to pipe spring water down to the village from higher up on the mountain. There is no electricity in their houses so at night they use kerosene lanterns and fires. Often they do not need lots of light, but sit and talk with their families and friends. It is a very peaceful and stirring image to see groups of people around each house, talking and laughing under the light of the moon and stars.Most of the children go to school when they are old enough to walk several hours. Each village doesn't have a school, so children have to walk up to a few hours to get to school. If they board at the village with a school then the children don't see their parents except on weekends. (back to top) Church SituationThere are two church denominations operating in the Sam language area, and some Sam speakers attend churches outside the language area. We feel it is important for us to maintain good relationships with both churches, so there are no hindrances later to them using the translated Scriptures. We have only been in Buan village a short time, and already we have seen much evidence that people are confused about what the Bible really teaches. Through their speech and actions we can see that they are mixing their traditional beliefs with various denominational traditions and other local beliefs that convince us that although the people have heard the Good News they still do not really understand it. We believe that without a Bible in their own language the Message will only go into their heads and not their hearts, and that without vernacular Scriptures, it is difficult for the local church to become truly indigenous and self-sufficient.(back to top) TravelThe Rai Coast Highway runs south from the main highway (between Madang and Lae) to Madang, and in the dry season it is possible to travel a few kilometers beyond Songum village. There is an old logging road connecting Buan village with the Rai Coast Highway, and if the people clear the road we can use that. But, if they don't then we don't dare to use the road in case we get stuck on fallen trees, bogs, or ditches. In that case, we can either hike from the coast to Buan, or use a helicopter, which is very expensive.In the rainy season the rivers are too deep and fast to travel down past Erima. (Please refer to Map above.) So, we can either take a boat from Madang to Ileg (which is on the coast, east of Bom) and then hike over to Buan, or take a helicopter. Getting to Buan is never a straightforward affair. We always wonder what will come up when we make the trip, and we are relieved when we are finally there! There are trails connecting all the villages, and it takes about two hours to hike from the coast to Buan, two hours to hike from Songum to Buan, and one hour to hike from Buan further southwest to Wongbe. It takes Sam people much less time to complete these hikes! They are very good at hiking, and they are in very good shape! (back to top) Primary NeedWe feel the Sam people need most of all to have God's Word in their own language so they can learn about Him in their own heart language. Without God's Truth in Sam, they will never truly understand it, and will be vulnerable to any cult that comes in. Along with that, they need to be able to read their language, and learn how to write stories and make books using village level technology. There is a whole new world of READING out there for them!(back to top) Our ResponseWe are working to learn the Sam language and culture, and document our
research. We are currently working on learning their language well so
that we can fit in with them and make good friends, and then we will be
ready to begin translation work. One part of our work that we don't
often think about is public relations: we need to inform people
about the importance of using their language, that they need to learn
and use their alphabet, that literacy and translation are very important,
and the need for people to get involved in the work. |
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