A Boat for the Bijagos
Above: The church boat carried the survey team from island to island.
Viewed from the heavens, Guinea-Bissau and its Bijago Archipelago resemble a breathtaking gem. Contrasting with the burnt-orange desert to the north, its savannah browns meld into tropical rain forests and then swampy, green coastal plains. The Géba River flows south into a wide, coastal estuary, continuing into the stunning blue waters of the Atlantic. About 10 miles out lies the first of some 15 large islands and many smaller ones.
The realities of actually living on these islands, however, are breathtaking in other ways. The idyllic picture of the Bijagos, with all its natural beauty and resources, belies the challenges islanders and the Church face in order to thrive economically and spiritually.
In spring 2008, at the request of the president of the Evangelical Church of Guinea-Bissau (IEGB), JAARS Transportation Assessment Coordinator Vic Hess and Maritime Consultants Larry and Anne Hamilton toured the Bijagos, assessing transportation needs.
On the outer islands of the archipelago, the team found the few existing wharves and jetties built by the Portuguese years ago crumbling. No inter-island boat service exists; and from the capital, Bissau, there is commercial ferry service only to Bubaque Island, 40 miles out.
When the team arrived on Orango Island, a lay pastor immediately asked them, “Where’s the rice? We haven’t had a rice shipment for two months!” They had not thought to bring along a bag, yet the pastor graciously served them rice for lunch anyway.
Later, passing a mud-brick building with empty windows, the pastor said, “There’s our hospital.” But ... no nurse, no doctor, and no medicines in sight. For lack of reliable transportation to and from the islands, medical professionals prefer not to come.
At a town meeting called by the team, a Galinhas Island “king,” answering questions about transportation needs, said, “Look at our beach. Do you see any boats there?” They didn’t—only two small fishing canoes with no motors. Caravela islanders told them that in cases of critical illness, accidents, or problems giving birth, “You die on the island, or you die at sea (taking a small boat to a mainland hospital).”
Even Pastor Jorge, President of the Regional Church Council and a relatively well-equipped boat captain, said, “I say my goodbyes to my family each time I go out in the boat.”
As for getting their products to market in the capital on the mainland, islanders have few opportunities. Taking advantage of the survey vessel, two women on Caravela, one of the outer islands, loaded their wares aboard and accompanied the team for five days. Once in Bissau—only 60 miles from their home—these women could be gone from their families for a month, waiting for a ride back on a fishing boat going to sea.
Five hundred Bijago teens and young adults would like to gather once a year for evangelism training and outreach. To help pay for outboard fuel, they raise chickens. Owning only one wooden boat, however, the Church cannot accommodate all who want to come. Christian women from the Bijagos, too, would like to meet with mainland sisters at their annual conference, if transportation were not an issue.
The New Testament in Bijago (Orango dialect) was published years ago and needs revision. The IEGB wants to meet this need, but the lack of transportation blocks their efforts. The canoe the translation project personnel have been using was deemed unsafe for the conditions by the survey team. (In January 2009 unusual weather caused three canoes to sink with many lives lost.) The project has determined that no further work in the islands can be done, apart from the translation of Bijago-Caravela Luke now in progress, until the transportation issue is resolved.
Church leaders believe a ferry would be key to expanding many ministries that are now hindered by the lack of transportation. Among them: evangelism and church planting; Bible translation; literacy and Scripture use; JESUS film showings; medical outreach; and more. A vessel would also help the Bijago people participate in the larger economy. Cashew nuts grown on the islands are a potential cash crop. Crafted grass mats, cane chairs and benches can be sold. People also own cattle, which would provide a solid income for them, if only they could sell them in Bissau without having to lose 1/4 to 1/2 their value in shipping costs.
In contrast to the abandoned island clinic mentioned above, the IEGB runs a modern eye clinic and surgery in Bissau. They want to extend mobile eye clinic services to the islands, using the ferry to carry medical workers and their equipment. Regular ferry service would encourage health, literacy and education workers to return to the Bijagos.
JAARS Maritime Services hopes to help the Church make a difference by committing to build an economical freight and passenger vessel, able to handle the swift currents and shallow water of the archipelago. All concerned prefer a large vessel with a bow ramp for loading and unloading from beaches. A builder is now being sought in the Pacific Rim who can meet specifications.
Isaiah 42:12 says, “Let them give glory to the LORD and proclaim his praise in the islands.” Surely God looks down on this gem He created, Guinea-Bissau, and longs for its people to know Him, His Word and His provision for their needs. The ferry service will communicate His love and care to islanders and all Guineans.
Should God lead you to help provide this much-needed ferry, click here.
This story originally appeared in "Partnering with the Church in Guinea-Bissau," the Fall 2009 issue of Rev. 7.
