Korowai Literacy survey

Peter Jan de Vries
14 september 2024

Alice Eastwood and Telma Huka are part of Suluh Insan Lestari, the Indonesian partner organization of SIL International. They would like to support literacy in the Korowai language, so we are together in Yaniruma to survey the potential for this.

They asked me to join this survey because I speak the Korowai language, developed the first Korowai literacy materials and know the local situation and history.

Telma and Alice board a small Yajasi plane from Sentani to Danowage, where they pick me up. From there we fly to the village of Yaniruma, where we can stay overnight with the pastor. Yaniruma is the oldest Korowai village and the people express their desire to include Korowai literacy teaching into the school curriculum.

The next day we take a 'ketinting' from Yaniruma to Sinimburu, where we spend the night with two of my Korowai "sons", Damusi and Paulus. We are welcomed with sago and with a decent place to sleep. There is even a toilet and a home-built bathroom.

The following day Alice and I walk to Afiuumabul, a village 8.5km inland, while Telma stays behind in Sinimburu. A trek through the jungle would be too hard for her. In Sinimburu, she speaks with Novita and Marius, the two Korowai assistant teachers. They are more than happy to use the Korowai literacy materials in Sinimburu. Novita herself learned to read and write through this method.

The next day we walk back to Sinimburu, arriving just before dark. In the evening, on request, I show videos of the opening of the village of Sinimburu, back in 2002. The people enjoy this, but it is also quite emotional for them because they see many of their relatives who have already passed away. Early the next morning we take the 'ketinting' to Danowage, where we arrive just in time to fly back to Sentani on the Yajasi plane.

The next step now is for Lukas Hawiih, Sinimburu's teacher/evangelist, and I to teach the Korowai teachers to apply the Korowai literacy method. The plan is to do that in August.