Unlike many of our news articles, this one will not be brief.

What I hope you will see is the approach we take when looking at new opportunities to partner with the grass-roots church planters and church networks we work with. We have written many times about our filtering process that helps ensure we put the books into the hands of the people who most need them and can best use them.

What follows is a strategy update from our East Africa Champion, Marwa Mwikwabe. While not all of our planning is this detailed, we have worked hard for the past 20 years to ensure the material we develop and the money we invest get optimal results. A quick look at this report illustrates that aspiration.

You will also note the projects in the category Projects That Need Funding. Please connect with us should one of those projects be of particular interest.

CLEAR AND SIMPLE MEDIA
BOOK PPRINTING BRIEF FOR E. AFRICA

Introduction
Being part of a Christian ministry, especially serving in book translations, formatting, printing, and distribution, has made me witness a growing hunger for biblically grounded resources among communities in East Africa. I am happy to support CSM in their outreach efforts through books that strengthen discipleship and gospel outreach. We have translated CSM’s key Christian materials into Swahili for use across Kenya and Tanzania, Hausa for use in Northern Nigeria and Tigrigna for Northern Ethiopia. These translations ensure that believers, church leaders, and new converts can access clear, faithful teaching in a language that speaks to their hearts and cultural context.

 
Summary of Current Projects that need funding

Summary of Future Projects that need funding

Summary of Proposed New Projects

Rationale for Proposing the above new 3 Languages.

Yao (ChiYao) Language

In my recent visit to Malawi to support the Translation of TTI materials into their National language called Chichewa, I met a missionary pastor from the Southern Malawi who serves among the Yao community. Our interactions revealed the following;

• The Yao community is predominantly Muslim as other people practice traditional religion with a very little percentage of  Christian believers.
• Translating and printing evangelism and discipleship materials in Yao will fill a strategic gap and facilitate church leaders with resources for evangelism and discipleship of new believers.

Pokot Language

The Pokot people are an indigenous pastoralist and agro-pastoralist community living mainly in western Kenya (in West Pokot County and Baringo County) and in parts of eastern Uganda. Although the complete Scriptures have been translated into Pökoot and a Bible is available for the community[1],  many Pokot believers and seekers continue to face challenges: a significant portion of the community still follows traditional religious beliefs, and even among those who identify as Christians, belief often remains interwoven with traditional worldview[2].  Moreover, due to the mobile, rural and sometimes semi-nomadic way of life, access to church resources, consistent teaching, and discipleship tools remains limited.

Therefore, translating and printing evangelism, discipleship, and pastoral-care materials in the Pokot language is vital. Having accessible materials in their mother tongue will:

• Provide stable, written teaching that complements the oral traditions — helping to clarify biblical truth and counter syncretistic beliefs.
• Equip local believers and leaders with discipleship and outreach tools that travel with them, even across semi-nomadic movements.

Karamoja Language

The people of Karamoja — primarily the Karamojong and related agro-pastoralist groups in Northen Uganda. Traditional beliefs remain deeply rooted: many Karamojong continue to follow ancestral faith and animistic practices (believing in a deity associated with livestock and ancestral spirits), and while Christianity has begun to penetrate, the blending of traditional religion with Christian identity is common[3]. 

Given these realities, there is a compelling need to translate and print Christian evangelism and discipleship resources into the local language (Ŋakarimojong) and to contextualize them for pastoralist life. Many believers and seekers rely on oral teaching, but without written, accessible materials in their own language they often lack consistent doctrinal grounding — especially across remote manyattas and among non-literate or semi-literate adults. Printed booklets and study guides in their heart language would provide stable, tangible tools for discipleship, church planting, and leadership training. This would support the rapidly growing number of new believers (as seen in recent baptism events)[4] deepen understanding of the gospel beyond oral tradition, and help communities ground their faith in Scripture rather than syncretistic practices

Conclusion

Providing printed copies of these materials will significantly deepen the church’s capacity to disciple and equip its members. Believers will gain reliable guidance for Bible study, evangelism, and spiritual growth—especially in rural and underserved regions where digital access is limited. By making sound Christian doctrine accessible in their own languages, CSM will be supporting healthier churches, empowering local leaders, and expanding the reach of the gospel in communities that are eager to grow in their faith.

I welcome any inputs or questions that will give this proposal more clarity and a way forward.

Compiled by:

Marwa Mwikwabe Jared

E. Africa – CSM E. Africa Champion.   

[1] The Bible Society of Kenya+1

[2]Early Warning System+1

[3] https://www.africanwildernesstours.com/the-karamojong-culture/

[4] African Pastors Fellowship