Greta Woods

Greta served as a literacy specialist among the Songhai people group from December 2005 -June 2023. She coached Songhai speakers for their roles in "The Jesus Film" produced in the Songhai language spoken in the northern region of Mali, as well as facilitated teacher training for beginning readers and for those transitioning from French to Songhai, their first language. Her team's focus was literature production in Songhai. The team published a transition primer for Songhai people who read and write in French to become literate in Songhai, as well as a children's book in four languages (Songhai, Bambara, French, and English) called "God Has a Plan for Me." Songhai people have been taught to read and write in classes conducted on their cell phones. The literacy team also published Bible stories, proverbs, and calendars in Songhai, Songhai news flyers, and wall hangings with Scriptures in Songhai and French. In January 2020, the Songhai literacy team created its own You Tube channel called "Lisons en Songhay," meaning "Let's Read in Songhai." This channel presents video grammar lessons and advice for preventing Covid, as well as emphasizes the life-affirming value of literacy. Currently there are sixteen videos, 493 subscribers with 12,904 views. Although Greta has retired, literature production and literacy classes are still taking place among the Songhai people.

Greta's continual prayer is for the Songhai people internationally to read and write in their heart language, so that they can create their own literature for coming generations, and most importantly, to be transformed by the New Testament Scriptures, which were published in the Songhai language in 2014. Songhai Bible Translators are currently completing the Old Testament, so we greatly appreciate your fervent prayers on all of our behalf and for the Songhai people.