writing devotional notes for africans

I get a number of emails from fellow Africans asking me how they can write or publish African specific devotional or Bible reading notes. I hope the following pointers will help.

 

This will come as a surprise to some but Africa is a big continent! I come from Nigeria, a country of 130 million plus people, 3 main tribes and over 250 ethnic groups each with its own traditions and customs. And that is just one African country. Anyone wishing to write a devotional purely for Nigeria would have to think about its context. Would the devotional target men or women or both? If both, it is worth remembering that Nigeria, like most African societies, is intensely traditional thus devotionals aimed at both sexes has to be rather sensitive about gender relations, the issues they address in the devotional and how they address it even within the framework of a Bible reading. Similarly, would it be a non-denominational or denominational devotional? For example, Ibos are overwhelmingly Catholic thus a devotional note targeted at Ibos would have to take this into consideration and frame it in light of Catholic sensitivities. 

 

The format of a devotional is an important one. Is it going to be published bi-annually, quarterly or bi-monthly? The cost of producing the devotional must also be factored in. If you are targeting a particular town or community, you might want to consider publishing your devotional in a newsletter format which can be easily distributed and circulated. This is also more cost effective than producing it in a book format that is terribly expensive to produce and its costs not so easily recouped in sales.

 

You’ve got your target audience, you’ve worked out your production costs but all these means nothing if your message isn’t going anywhere. If you live in an urban community, distribution organisations and agents are relatively easy to find. However, if you reside in or are targeting a rural community, how are you going to get your message across to those that need to read it?

 

We often think of devotionals as something people read, but what if people heard it instead? In Africa, radio is the most powerful means of communication. If you want to reach your target audience at the lowest possible cost for maximum impact, then radio is key. Don’t worry too much about sponsorship as opportunities abound for this; you could approach a local business person to sponsor your radio slot or even get the radio station itself to sponsor the devotional readings as part of their community service. And what about your local church or denomination? Ask around. You will be surprised at what you’ll find.