Mursi Education Project

SIM has been involved with the Mursi since 1989, helping with animal husbandry, healthcare and agriculture, evangelism, church planting, translation, and now education. One burden has been Bible translation into the Mursi language. Until recently, the Mursi had not been receptive to or interested in formal education, as they did not see the need. After coming to know the existence of and relation to other people groups and their own government, however, the Mursi decided education was beneficial and chose leaders they trusted to help them in that process. Since the authority structure in the tribe runs very deep, outside teachers are not allowed to instruct directly. Rather, a select number of leaders from the tribe are chosen to be taught and then teach the rest of the tribe. This is the method for academic education as well as Bible teaching.

Consequently, in August 2004, SIM began the Mursi Education Project spearheaded by the Rickers with HIM. The chosen leaders began first by being taught first grade material. After completing the first grade, they began to teach their own people while they themselves learned second grade. The first class taught by the Mursi chosen leaders initially had 100 Mursis involved, with 65 successfully completing first grade. The ages spanned from seven to sixty-two years, and 40% were girls. The second class was larger, consisting of more children and mothers.