M’bale Milton Henschel atafikanso ku Sierra Leone chakumayambiriro kwa 1963, anatchula vuto limene nthambi ya m’dzikoli inkalimbana nalo kwa nthawi yaitali. Iye analimbikitsa abale kuti ayesetse kuphunzitsa anthu kuwerenga ndi kulemba.

M’mipingo ina, abale ankaphunzira kuwerenga ndi kulemba m’Chingelezi. Koma M’bale Henschel atafika, abalewo anayamba kuphunzira m’zilankhulo zawo. M’mipingo ina makalasiwa ankachitika m’zilankhulo ziwiri kapena zitatu. Anthu ambiri analembetsa sukuluyi moti wofalitsa mmodzi pa atatu alionse ankalowa m’kalasi.

Mu 1966, abale a ku Liberia anakonza buku lophunzitsira kuwerenga Chikisi lokhala ndi zithunzi. Ataonetsa akuluakulu a boma bukuli, iwo anachita chidwi n’kulisindikiza kuti azigawira anthu kwaulere. Bukuli linagawidwa ku Guinea, ku Liberia ndi ku Sierra Leone ndipo linathandiza anthu ambiri a mtundu wa Kisi kuti aphunzire kuwerenga ndi kulemba. Kenako mabukuwa anakonzedwanso m’zilankhulo zina kuti anthu ambiri aphunzire.

 Sukulu imeneyi inathandiza anthu kudziwa kuwerenga ndi kulemba komanso kudziwa bwino Mulungu. Chitsanzo pa nkhaniyi ndi mlongo wina wa zaka 50, dzina lake Sia Ngallah, yemwe anali wofalitsa wosabatizidwa. Iye sankadziwa kuwerenga, choncho polowa mu utumiki ankatenga zingwe ziwiri. China chinali chakuda china chofiira. Akalalikira ola limodzi, ankamanga mfundo pachingwe chakudacho. Akachita ulendo wobwereza ankamanga mfundo pachingwe chofiira. Koma ataphunzira kuwerenga ndi kulemba anasiya zimenezi n’kumawerengera bwinobwino maola ake. Iye anafika pobatizidwa ndipo ankaphunzitsanso bwino.

Masiku ano, sukulu yophunzitsa kuwerenga ndi kulemba ikuchitikabe m’mipingo yambiri ku Sierra Leone ndi ku Guinea. Munthu wina waudindo m’boma ku Sierra Leone anauza abale a kunthambi kuti: “Anthu inu mukuphunzitsa anthu Baibulo komanso mukugwira ntchito yotamandika kwambiri yophunzitsa anthu kuwerenga ndi kulemba.”

Anthu amitundu yosiyanasiyana ataphunzira kuwerenga ndi kulemba, panafunika kumasulira mabuku m’zilankhulo zawo. Mabuku a zilankhulo za mitundu yambiri ankasowa ndipo mwina sankapezeka n’komwe. Anthu ophunzira ku Sierra Leone amawerenga Chingelezi pomwe a ku Guinea amawerenga Chifulenchi. Kodi chinachitika n’chiyani kuti anthuwo aziphunzira Baibulo m’zilankhulo zawo?

Mu 1959, amishonale awiri anamasulira kapepala ndi kabuku m’chilankhulo cha Chimende koma  sizinasindikizidwe zokwanira. Patapita zaka 10 timabuku tiwiri takuti “This Good News of the Kingdom” ndi Living in Hope of a Righteous New World, tinamasuliridwa m’Chikisi. Panasindikizidwa timabukuti pafupifupi 30,000 ndipo tinkagwiritsidwa ntchito pochititsa maphunziro a Baibulo.

Mu 1975, ofesi ya nthambi inayamba kusindikiza nkhani zophunzira za mu Nsanja ya Olonda m’Chikisi ndipo abale ndi alongo anasangalala kwambiri. M’bale wina analemba kuti: “Yehova watithandizatu kuti tichite zazikulu. Anthufe sitinapite kusukulu. Tinali ngati miyala yosalankhula. Koma pano tili ndi Nsanja ya Olonda m’Chikisi ndipo tikutha kuuza ena ntchito zodabwitsa za Yehova.” (Luka 19:40) Mabuku ena anamasuliridwanso m’Chikisi.

Masiku ano, anthu ambiri ku Sierra Leone ndi ku Guinea amagwiritsa ntchito mabuku a Chingelezi ndi Chifulenchi ndipo zilankhulo zimenezi ndi zimene amagwiritsa ntchito pa misonkhano ya mpingo. Koma posachedwapa patuluka mabuku ambiri a zilankhulo zina monga Chigweze, Chikisi, Chikiliyo, Chimaninkakani, Chimende, Chipula ndi Chisusu. Timabuku takuti Mverani Mulungu Kuti Mudzapeze Moyo Wosatha ndi Mverani Mulungu, tinamasuliridwanso m’zilankhulo zonsezi. Timabukuti tikuthandiza kwambiri anthu ovutika kuwerenga kuti amve uthenga wabwino wa m’Baibulo.

Chakumayambiriro kwa zaka za m’ma 1960, abale a ku Freetown ankafufuza malo oti amangepo ofesi ya nthambi. Kenako, mu 1965, anapeza malo m’mbali mwa msewu wa Wilkinson kumene kunali nyumba zabwino kwambiri. Malowa anali pafupi ndi nyanja.

Anamanga chinyumba chokongola kwambiri ndipo mkati mwake munali Nyumba ya Ufumu, nyumba ya amishonale komanso maofesi. Pamene ankamanga nthambiyi,  magalimoto odutsa mumsewu wapafupi ankayenda pang’onopang’ono mwinanso kuima kuti anthu aone zimene zikuchitikazo. Nthambiyi anaitsegulira pa August 19, 1967 ndipo pamwambowo panafika anthu pafupifupi 300. Pagululi panali abale ambiri a m’dzikoli ndipo ena anali akalekale omwe anabatizidwa ndi “Baibulo” Brown mu 1923.

Nthambi yatsopanoyi inachititsa kuti anthu ambiri azilemekeza ntchito ya Mboni za Yehova. Yaperekanso yankho kwa anthu amene ankati ku Sierra Leone sikungakhale Mboni. Nthambiyi inapereka umboni woti Mboni zakhazikika ndithu m’dzikoli.

Kungoyambira m’ma 1975 amishonale ambiri akhala akufika ku Sierra Leone ndi Guinea ndipo athandiza  kwambiri pa ntchito yolalikira. Ena anali oti atumikirapo m’mayiko ena a mu Africa ndipo azolowera nyengo yake. Koma ena kanali koyamba kufika ku Africa. Ndiye akanatha bwanji kukhala “kumanda a azunguku”? Taonani zimene ena ananena.

“Anthu ake anali odzichepetsa ndipo ankafunitsitsa kuphunzira Baibulo. Ndinkasangalala kwambiri kuona akusintha pambuyo pophunzira.”—Hannelore Altmeyer.

“Ndinkavutika kwambiri chifukwa cha kutentha komanso matenda. Koma imeneyi sinali nkhani chifukwa ndinkasangalala kuona anthu ambiri akuyamba kutumikira Yehova.”—Cheryl Ferguson.

“Ndinaphunzira kukhala woleza mtima kwambiri. Tsiku lina ndinafunsa mlongo wina kuti, ‘Kodi alendo anu abwera liti?’ Poyankha anati: ‘Aa abwera lero kapena mawa. Mwinanso mkucha.’ Ataona kuti ndikudabwa anati: ‘Koma salephera, abwera ndithu.’”—Christine Jones.

“M’nyumba ya amishonale ya ku Freetown tinkakhalamo amishonale 14 ochokera m’mayiko osiyanasiyana. Panali zimbudzi ziwiri zokha, bafa limodzi, makina ochapira amodzi komanso khitchini imodzi. Zakudya zake zinali zochepa komanso sizinali zabwino kwenikweni. Magetsi ankangozimazima ndipo nthawi zina ankazima kwa masiku angapo. Ambiri tinadwalapo malungo ndi matenda ena ofala m’madera otentha. Ngakhale kuti mavuto amenewa akanatha kutilepheretsa utumiki wathu, tinaphunzira kukhala ndi anthu, kukhululuka komanso kuona mavutowo ngati zinthu zoseketsa. Tinkasangalala kwambiri polalikira ndipo tinkagwirizana kwambiri.”—Robert ndi Pauline Landis.

 “Kunena zoona ku Sierra Leone n’kumene tasangalala kwambiri pa moyo wathu ndipo sitidandaula chilichonse kapena kunong’oneza bondo. Timalakalaka titabwererako.”—Benjamin ndi Monica Martin.

“Tsiku lina titapita kwa mayi amene ankaphunzira Baibulo anatiphikira chakudya. Koma titavundukula tinadabwa kwabasi. Ndiye mayiyo anati: ‘Ndi mphiritu iyi ndipo ndachotsa kale mano ake. Mudya eti?’ Tinayesetsa kukana koma anatikakamiza kuti tidye basi. Zoterezi zinkachitikachitika koma tinkathokozabe mtima wochereza umene anthuwa anali nawo ndipo tinkawakonda kwambiri.”—Frederick ndi Barbara Morrisey.

“Pa zaka 43 zimene ndachita umishonale, ndakhala ndi amishonale osiyanasiyana oposa 100. Ndimaona kuti ndi mwayi waukulu kukhala ndi anthu osiyanasiyana koma omwe cholinga chawo ndi chimodzi. N’zosangalatsa kwambiri kukhala wantchito mnzake wa Mulungu n’kumaona anthu akuyamba kumutumikira.”—Lynette Peters.

“N’zosangalatsa kwambiri kukhala wantchito mnzake wa Mulungu n’kumaona anthu akuyamba kumutumikira”

Kuyambira mu 1947, amishonale okwana 154 atumikirapo ku Sierra Leone ndipo 88 atumikira ku Guinea. Komanso pali abale ndi alongo ena amene abwera m’mayikowa kudzatumikira kumadera kumene kulibe ofalitsa ambiri. Panopa, ku Sierra Leone kuli amishonale 44 pomwe ku Guinea aliko 31. Abale ndi alongo onsewa ndi akhama kwambiri komanso odzipereka ndipo athandiza anthu ambiri. M’bale Alfred Gunn, amene watumikira m’Komiti ya Nthambi kwa nthawi yaitali ananena kuti: “Sitidzaiwala zimene abale ndi alongowa achita.”