There are several thousand speakers of the South Awyu language. Their homeland is in the swampy southern portion of Papua, Indonesia at an elevation below 100 meters above sea level. Fortunately, there is an airport in Bade and therefore the area can be best reached by airplane. Then a taxi can be hired on the road to the La river (along which most of the other South Awyu villages are located) via the town of Mememu.
The South Awyu people primarily live by hunting and gardening, but the people also raise some cattle. They eat sago, fish, yams and fruits (i.e. oranges, bananas, and jackfruit). The main infrastructure in the area is in Bade. Besides the airport and road, there are also SSB radios, local and satellite telephones, and evening electricity. The people get their drinking water from springs, wells, or the river. Malaria, skin diseases, cholera are some of the main diseases in the area.
Both South Awyu and Indonesian are used at home, with friends, and at church. Many churches also use songs written in the South Awyu vernacular. It is estimated that less than half of the South Awyu speakers have understood the gospel, but there are a number of Catholic churches in the area and the priest for the surrounding area lives in Bade. The South Awyu people have no gospel cassettes, films or videos in their language.
Scripture Prayers for the Awyu, South in Indonesia.
| Profile Source: Anonymous |
