Mu ntangiriro z’umwaka wa 1963, igihe Milton Henschel yasuraga Siyera Lewone ku ncuro ya kabiri, yavuze ibirebana n’ikibazo ibiro by’ishami byari bimaze igihe bigerageza gukemura. Yateye abavandimwe inkunga yo kongera imbaraga mu guhangana n’ikibazo cyo kutamenya gusoma no kwandika.

Hari amatorero yigishaga gusoma no kwandika mu cyongereza. Ariko umuvandimwe Henschel amaze kubasura, abavandimwe batangiye kwigisha abanyeshuri gusoma no kwandika mu ndimi zabo kavukire. Hari amatorero yari afite amashuri yigisha gusoma no kwandika mu ndimi ebyiri cyangwa eshatu. Ayo mashuri yari akunzwe cyane ku buryo ababwiriza bagera kuri kimwe cya gatatu mu gihugu hose bayigagamo.

Mu mwaka wa 1966, abavandimwe bo muri Liberiya bateguye igitabo kirimo amashusho cyigisha gusoma no kwandika mu gikisi. Igihe berekaga icyo gitabo abategetsi bo muri Liberiya, baragikunze cyane bafata umwanzuro wo kugicapa bakagitanga ku buntu. Icyo gitabo cyatanzwe muri Gineya, muri Liberiya no muri Siyera Lewone, kandi cyafashije Abakisi babarirwa mu magana kumenya gusoma no kwandika. Nyuma yaho, hateguwe ibitabo byo kwigisha gusoma no kwandika mu zindi ndimi, kandi byafashije abantu benshi bamenya gusoma.

 Ayo mashuri ntiyigishaga abantu gusoma no kwandika gusa, ahubwo yanabafashaga kugira amajyambere yo mu buryo bw’umwuka. Reka dufate urugero rwa Sia Ngallah, akaba yari umubwiriza utarabatizwa w’imyaka 50 utari uzi gusoma. Sia yakoraga raporo y’umurimo wo kubwiriza akoresheje imishumi y’umukara n’umutuku. Iyo yabaga amaze kubwiriza isaha imwe yapfundikaga ipfundo ku mushumi w’umukara. Iyo yasubiraga gusura yapfundikaga ipfundo ku mushumi w’umutuku. Sia yagiye mu ishuri ryigisha gusoma no kwandika, bimufasha kunonosora uko yandikaga raporo y’umurimo wo kubwiriza. Nanone yagize amajyambere arabatizwa, kandi yanonosoye uburyo bwe bwo kubwiriza no kwigisha.

Muri iki gihe, amatorero menshi yo muri Siyera Lewone no muri Gineya aracyigisha abantu gusoma no kwandika. Umukozi mukuru wo muri leta ya Siyera Lewone yabwiye abavandimwe bo ku biro by’ishami ati “uretse umurimo mukora wo kwigisha abantu Bibiliya, nanone mushimirwa umurimo mukora wo gufasha abaturage bacu kumenya gusoma no kwandika.”

Uko abantu bo mu moko anyuranye bagendaga bamenya gusoma ari benshi, ni na ko ibyagombaga guhindurwa na byo byiyongeraga. Abantu bo mu moko hafi ya yose ntibari bafite ibitabo mu rurimi rwabo, n’abari babifite byari bike cyane. Abantu bize bo muri Siyera Lewone basomaga icyongereza, naho abo muri Gineya bagasoma igifaransa. None se hari gukorwa iki kugira ngo haboneke ibitabo by’imfashanyigisho za Bibiliya mu ndimi zabo kavukire?

Mu mwaka wa 1959, abamisiyonari babiri bize mu ishuri rya Gileyadi bahinduye inkuru y’Ubwami n’agatabo mu kimende, ariko hatanzwe kopi nke cyane. Hashize imyaka icumi, agatabo  “Ubu butumwa bwiza bw’Ubwami” n’agatabo kavuga iby’isi nshya (Vivez dans l’espérance d’un monde nouveau et juste) twahinduwe mu gikisi. Hatanzwe kopi zigera ku 30.000 z’utwo dutabo, kandi twakoreshwaga mu kwigisha abantu Bibiliya.

Mu mwaka wa 1975, ibiro by’ishami byatangiye gusohora ingingo zo kwigwa z’Umunara w’Umurinzi mu gikisi. Ababwiriza b’Abakisi barishimye cyane! Hari umuvandimwe wanditse ati “Yehova yadukoreye ibikomeye. Nta n’umwe muri twe wigeze akandagira mu ishuri. Twari tumeze nk’amabuye adashobora kuvuga. Nguko uko twari tumeze, ariko ubu ubwo dufite Umunara w’Umurinzi mu gikisi, dushobora kuvuga imirimo itangaje ya Yehova” (Luka 19:40). Hari n’ibindi bitabo byahinduwe mu gikisi.

Ubu abantu benshi bo muri Siyera Lewone na Gineya baracyasoma ibitabo byacu mu cyongereza cyangwa igifaransa, ari na zo ndimi zikoreshwa mu materaniro y’itorero. Ariko mu myaka ya vuba aha, ibitabo byo mu ndimi kavukire byariyongereye cyane. Ubu ibitabo by’imfashanyigisho za Bibiliya biboneka mu kigwerize, mu gikisi, mu gikiriyo, mu kimaninkani, mu kimende, mu gipulari no mu gisusu. Agatabo Tega Imana amatwi uzabeho iteka n’akandi gatabo nk’ako (Écoutez Dieu) tuboneka muri izo ndimi zose. Gukoresha utwo dutabo tw’imfashanyigisho biroroshye, kandi turimo turafasha abantu benshi batazi gusoma gusobanukirwa ubutumwa buhebuje bwo muri Bibiliya no kubufatana uburemere.

Mu ntangiriro z’imyaka ya 1960 abavandimwe b’i Freetown bashakishaga ikibanza cyo kubakamo ibiro by’ishami. Amaherezo mu mwaka wa 1965, babonye ikibanza cyitegeye inyanja cyari muri kamwe mu duce twiza cyane two guturamo muri uwo mugi, ku muhanda wa Wilkinson.

Igishushanyo mbonera cyemejwe bwa nyuma cyateganyaga ko hubakwa inzu imwe nziza irimo Inzu y’Ubwami, icumbi ry’abamisiyonari n’ibiro. Mu gihe iyo nzu yubakwaga, incuro nyinshi abashoferi n’abagenzi banyuraga mu muhanda wa  Wilkinson wagendwaga cyane, bagendaga buhoro cyane hakaba nubwo bahagaze kugira ngo bihere ijisho. Iyo nzu yeguriwe Yehova ku itariki ya 19 Kanama 1967. Abantu bagera hafi kuri 300, hakubiyemo n’abanyacyubahiro baho n’abavandimwe ba kera bari barabatijwe na “Bibiliya” Brown mu mwaka wa 1923, bakurikiranye iyo porogaramu.

Iyo nzu nshya y’ibiro by’ishami yatumye abantu benshi bubaha umurimo w’Abahamya ba Yehova. Nanone yahaye igisubizo abanyamadini bamwe bajoraga Abahamya bavuga ko batazatera kabiri muri Siyera Lewone. Iyo nzu nshya yatangarizaga buri wese ko nta ho Abahamya ba Yehova bazajya.

Guhera mu myaka ya 1970 rwagati, abamisiyonari bize mu ishuri rya Gileyadi boherezwaga muri Siyera Lewone na  Gineya bateje imbere umurimo muri ibyo bihugu. Hari abari barakoreye umurimo mu bindi bihugu byo muri Afurika kandi bahise bamenyera imibereho yaho. Abandi bwari ubwa mbere bageze muri Afurika. None se bari guhangana bate n’“imva y’abazungu”? Reka dusuzume bimwe mu byo bavuze.

“Abantu bicishaga bugufi kandi bari bafite inzara yo mu buryo bw’umwuka. Kubona ukuntu ukuri kwatumaga barushaho kugira imibereho myiza byaranshimishaga cyane.”—Hannelore Altmeyer.

“Guhangana n’ikirere cyo mu gace gashyuha n’indwara zaho byarangoye cyane. Ariko ibyishimo naterwaga no gufasha abantu b’imitima itaryarya gukorera Yehova byatumaga mbona ko ntarushywaga n’ubusa.”—Cheryl Ferguson.

“Nitoje kwihangana. Igihe nabazaga mushiki wacu igihe abashyitsi be bari kuzira, yaranshubije ati ‘bashobora kuza uyu munsi. Cyangwa ejo. Cyangwa ejobundi.’ Nshobora kuba naramurebaga numiwe kuko yakomezaga kwemeza ati ‘ariko bazaza!’—Christine Jones.

“Abamisiyonari 14 bo mu moko n’imico bitandukanye babanaga mu icumbi ry’abamisiyonari i Freetown. Twese twakoreshaga imisarani ibiri, icyumba kimwe cyo kogeramo, imashini imwe imesa n’igikoni kimwe. Ibiribwa byari bike kandi bitameze neza. Umuriro wakundaga kubura, hakaba n’ubwo umaze iminsi myinshi utaragaruka. Benshi muri twe twarwaye malariya n’izindi ndwara zo mu karere gashyuha. Nubwo hari uwatekereza ko ibyo byari gutuma tutagira icyo tugeraho, twitoje kubana, kubabarirana no gushakisha uko twakwishima mu mimerere igoranye. Kubwiriza byaradushimishaga kandi abamisiyonari bagiranye ubucuti bukomeye.”—Robert na Pauline Landis.

 “Igihe twamaze muri Siyera Lewone ni kimwe mu bihe byiza twagize mu buzima bwacu. Nta cyo twicuza nta n’icyo twinuba. Twumva dukumbuye cyane icyo gihe.”—Benjamin na Monica Martin.

“Igihe kimwe twaraye mu rugo rw’umugore wari ushimishijwe watugaburiye ibyokurya byasaga ukwabyo. Yaratubwiye ati ‘ni impiri. Nayikuyemo amenyo. Mbaheho?’ Twamuhakaniye tubigiranye amakenga ariko akomeza gutitiriza. Nubwo ibintu nk’ibyo bitari byoroshye, twishimiraga abatugaragarizaga umuco wo kwakira abashyitsi kandi twarabakunze cyane.”—Frederick na Barbara Morrisey.

“Mu myaka 43 maze mu murimo w’ubumisiyonari nabanye n’abamisiyonari basaga 100. Mbega ukuntu byari biteye ibyishimo kumenyana n’abantu benshi cyane bafite kamere zitandukanye nyamara bose bagakorera mu bumwe bagamije intego imwe! Kandi se mbega ukuntu bishimisha gukorana n’Imana no kubona abantu wafashije bamenya ukuri!”—Lynette Peters.

“Mbega ukuntu bishimisha gukorana n’Imana no kubona abantu wafashije bamenya ukuri!”

Guhera mu mwaka wa 1947, abamisiyonari 154 bakoreye umurimo muri Siyera Lewone, abandi 88 bakorera muri Gineya. Hari abandi Bahamya benshi baje gukorera umurimo aho ubufasha bwari bukenewe cyane. Ubu muri Siyera Lewone hari abamisiyonari 44, naho muri Gineya hari 31. Imihati bashyiragaho batizigamye n’ukuntu bari bariyeguriye Imana nta buryarya, byatumye bafasha abantu benshi. Alfred Gunn, umaze igihe kinini muri Komite y’Ishami yagize ati “turabakunda cyane.”