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The Nyiha
The Nyiha are a large people group. A New Testament was published in 1913, but it is no longer available, nor is it easily read these days because the language has changed over the years. The Nyiha have a growing church but many also follow traditional religion. They would rejoice to have a Bible in their own language.
Geography and Climate: The land where they live is dry, flat savanna.
Population: 250,000
Cultural Information: Traditionally weavers, iron workers, hunters, and some own cattle, goats and poultry. The Nyiha grow cash crops of maize, millet and coffee. There are some big coffee farms in the area which were operated by foreigners about 50 years ago. Some of these first coffee farmers translated agricultural books into the Nyiha language.
Language Group Information: There are quite a few Nyiha who have higher education and see the need of having the language developed. The farmers are very excited when they hear about the project and can hardly imagine that there is help available for their mother tongue.
People from many other people groups are now also living in the traditional Nyiha homeland. This mix of people has encouraged even faster language change than in other parts of the country.
In order to reach out and evangelize the pockets of unreached Nyiha and to strengthen the Church a new Nyiha Bible translation is necessary. Nyiha want to read and understand the Bible in modern language that will speak to their hearts and will be able to transform individual lives and the Nyaiha community as a whole.
Religion: Christian, Traditional
The Nyiha Church: The Nyiha have one hundred year old church history, where Moravian, Roman Catholic, and Lutheran Churches are the largest in the area.