June was a special month for the Malagasy Bible Society. Not only did it mark the 175th anniversary of the Malagasy Bible, it was also the Society’s 45th anniversary.

1. Creative approaches to Madagascar's Scripture needs
By the Rev Stein Mydske, General Secretary, Norwegian Bible Society.
June was a special month for the Malagasy Bible Society. Not only did it mark the
175th anniversary of the Malagasy Bible, it was also the Society’s 45th anniversary.
The main celebrations took place in the capital,
Antananarivo, and included a Bible exhibition
and an international Bible symposium.
Bible printing
At the Lutheran Church’s printing house
opposite Bible House, General Secretary Marc
Rakoto gives some words of explanation.
“This is where we print cheap Bibles for the
local market,” he says. “These Bibles sell for
less than US$3, slightly more than the cost of production.”
“We aim not only to earn money from printing Bibles, but also to provide work for 20
people,” says Bary Dadimilahy, the head of the printing house.” We still use old lead
type and printing techniques for some products, but the Bible is printed on a new
offset machine. We produce on average 60 Bibles every day.”
Painting ‘the blood of Jesus’ on Bibles
George Rakotonirina is 53 years old and a veteran at the
printing house.
“My father also worked here,” he says. “I paint the edges of
the Bibles red. People want this because it reminds them of
the blood of Jesus.”
“We want everybody in our country have this book,” his
colleague John Lahimirima (35) adds as he glues the edges
of pages together.
The cost of a Bible
To people from many other countries, the cost of a Bible in
Madagascar seems very low. However, the average salary in Madagascar is only
US$1 000 per year, and most people have large families to support. Over the last
40 years the population has grown from five million to 20 million. Madagascar is rich
in natural resources, but this is not reflected in its economy.

2. Many are illiterate
Of 100 children who start school, only 30 per cent
complete five years. Fewer than one per cent go to
university. In the countryside, most people work in
agriculture and fishing. For the Bible Society, literacy
work is a priority.
“There is no point printing Bibles that people cannot
read!” says Mr Rakoto.
New Bible formats
With many people unable to read, it is important for the Bible Society to make the
Scriptures available on CD, on audio cassette and on the radio.
Lily Rafaralaus (29) has been responsible for Bible communication programs for
almost two years. Before joining the Bible Society, she studied journalism and
worked in television.
“We have national radio programmes every day with five minutes of Bible reading,”
she says. ”Every week we have two television programmes with information about
the Bible and quizzes based on various themes. We are currently planning a video
production of the Prodigal Son and two Bible cartoons for children, one about the
prophet Jonah and one about Joseph and Mary.”
Christophe Lioka Ranarison has worked on the Bible Society’s audio programs for
13 years.
“What is important for me is to help people meet Jesus Christ,” he says. “When
people listen to the Bible stories, they want to have the full Bible!”
People call and write
“People call and write to thank us,” says Ms Rafaralaus. “Last week an army officer
was in the radio studio and spoke about his faith in Christ. Somebody called us and
said, ‘If an army officer can be a Christian, then why not me?!’
“After every programme we give the telephone number people can call. An animist
healer called and said, ‘After listening to your programmes on radio, I have stopped
acting as a healer and instead believe in Christ’.
“Elian, a 33-year-old teacher, called on New Year’s Eve and said she would commit
suicide. I didn’t know what to tell her. A month later she came to my office to thank
me for the help I had given her. ‘Your radio programmes with Bible readings gave
me hope and courage to live’, she said. Today she is a Bible Society volunteer!”