Extreme Lifestyle - OneStory

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“I Live in a Hut -- The Extreme Lifestyle of OneStory”
In this video, the girls of West Africa’s OneStory project show you their extreme lifestyle in West African villages.

Why do they live this life?

The countries in the heart of West Africa have some of the lowest literacy rates in the world. Only 19 percent can read in Mali, 21 percent in Burkina Faso and 28.7 percent in Niger, according to the 2006 statistics from the UN.

A written Bible would serve few, so OneStory teams create oral Bible story sets. They strive to learn local lingo and culture to inject into their Bible stories while preserving scriptural integrity.

“The villagers might not easily remember the Bible word for word, but if it relates to their culture, it’s something they might be able to grab onto a little easier,” said OneStory worker Tara Lohwater.

Here are some examples of colloquialisms they’ve found:

• Jesus is described as a building’s cornerstone, or foundation (Acts 4:11). In Fulani culture, Jesus is better understood as the ring that connects the mud walls to the grass roof – holding the whole hut together.

• John the Baptist calls the Pharisees a “brood of vipers” in Matt. 3:7 because vipers look like a harmless pile of sticks until stepped upon. The Fon people of Benin better understand their local saying: “You look like a housecat, but you’re really a wildcat.”