Burunge have a desire for their children
to learn through their mother tongue.

written by Emmanuel Doe, Burunge Translator

Many of the Burunge community’s primary school children struggle to learn through instruction in Swahili, which is their second language. Then, when they begin secondary school, they face the difficulty of learning through English, which is their third language.

So they concluded that if their children could learn through their mother tongue, they would understand what they were learning and perform better in their education. Not only this, but two Burunge retired teachers are asking us to begin a nursery school, to be conducted through their mother tongue. 

The way that many Burunge who live in towns are willing to buy various materials to help them learn to read and write their mother tongue is evidence that they see their language as important and valuable. We know this, because when we meet them, they ask us if there are any new printed materials.