Suri Translation, Literacy and Alphabet

Prior the mid-2000s, Suri was only a spoken language. The Suri Translation Project has led the effort to create a written version, collaborating with the Ethiopian government and with advisors from SIL International, a US-headquartered non-profit that supports language development efforts around the world. This project is an initiative of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church, Mekane Yesus (EECMY). EECMY’s goals include Suri translations of the Bible. The Suri Literacy Project, a partner project of the Suri Translation Project, has developed literacy tools, such as alphabet charts and primers, for a mother tongue literacy program, run partly independently and in many places in cooperation with the government-run schools in Suri territory.

One key Suri literacy tool is a chart that shows the characters of the Suri alphabet, each with an example word and illustrating drawing. Additional key tools are primers that show how to read and write the Suri language, using example words, sentences and stories, also illuminated by drawings. Alphabet charts and primers are now helping Suri children and adults learn to read and write their mother tongue.

The educational role of these materials is critical. In addition, however, these stories and drawings, created by Suri members of the Literacy project, provide eloquent and engaging vignettes of Suri life.

After finding a very small digital image of a Suri alphabet chart online, I attempted without success to acquire a larger version for inclusion in exhibits of these cultural portraits. Fortunately, I was able with the help of a designer to draw from Literacy Project materials to assemble a new poster. In some cases, I chose to use different example words or drawings than in the original poster. For instance, the drawing for ju = pot was of a generic pot in the original chart; I chose a clearly Suri-specific drawing from a primer. I also added English translations of the example words, often with the help of a Suri dictionary produced by the Suri Translation Project. The dictionary provides simple translations of Suri words to English and Amharic (the working language of Ethiopia), as well as reverse translations from English to Suri.

Complementing the new alphabet poster in this project is a set of four smaller posters drawn from a primer that was partially translated to English early in the Literacy Project. These translations allowed me (also with designer help) to pass on longer stories of several Suri words, shedding further light on Suri culture and values.

In 2013, EECMY produced a video about the Literacy Project, featuring several Suri literacy leaders. Note the clear pride and enthusiasm in these concluding statements from two of them:

Gergere Siralugu: It is important to educate our people in Suri so that our language and identity will not be lost. All people in Ethiopia have a right to learn in their own language. We want to hold onto our language too, so that we will speak it forever. We will continue to teach Suri to our children so they will know it.

Olekibo Bhobhori: This is what we want! We want our language to live forever. We love our language! That’s just the way it is.