WIKITONGUES: Varney and Omoru speaking Vai

First of all, my name is Varney Kamara

I was born in Wonde, but before then

our grandparents were warriors

from Sierra Leone

They came and settled here generations ago

They came and settled here

they bore us

and Wonde has become our home

This country is divided

into plenty of different groups

When the Peace Corps came here

they were learning our Vai language

and during their time here they helped us

make plenty of books, like this one here

to show and spread our language and script

We thank God

that after they copied this paper

some of them were very interested

in learning the Vai script

They provided us these books

and they really showed us

that they were interested in it

and we were interacting very much

in the language

not just small greetings

not only

"hello, hello, how are you feeling?"

but deep conversations in the Vai language

The very first example about this book is

that you can't find another language in it

You can't find different tribes

or languages in it

You can only get Vai completely

Really, we are appealing to the government

to focus on and promote this language

to be used as a general language

for Liberia

because we have two or more examples

Like, for instance

they will say the Vai hat

they get the Vai shirt

they get the Vai book

but among many of the tribes

they will not say "this is a Kpelle hat"

"this is a Kpelle shirt"

Even though Kpelle has a script

they have many other languages

mixed inside

Really, we are asking our government

to use this language

as a general language in the country

We want them to focus on the Vai script

to really be one of the general languages

for Liberia

There was a time when the white people

came into this country

from different countries

and they opened schools for Vai books

People were there teaching

they were learning it

and some of them became graduates

for the Vai books

So we are really appealing

to the government to find reason

to at least get the book moving

to find people to promote it and teach it

So far so good, so let me stop

So far

the old man has said almost everything

but to buttress him, thank God that

at least one time the Peace Corps workers

were here, that they were fine

and interested with the Vai script

and we were interacting in Vai

and it was great

that they were doing so much

Although they were here earlier

working on this project

we want to continue it

and continue appealing to the government

for Vai books

Also, even the Peace Corps

and foreign governments

We would like anyone to help promote

this language and script

We are also asking the outside world

to give us assistance

because once we ask you and you agree

we will not be disappointed

If you agree today you will not feel bad

tomorrow about helping our language spread

So the international community

presidents, leaders

please help us so that this book

will not die down

and we can help promote the Vai script

Thank you