Middle Watut, Sambio in Papua New Guinea

People Name:	Middle Watut, Sambio
Country:	Papua New Guinea
10/40 Window:	No
Population:	8,600
World Population:	8,600
Primary Language:	Kapin
Primary Religion:	Christianity
Christian Adherents:	90.00 %
Evangelicals:	27.00 %
Scripture:	Portions
Ministry Resources:	No
Jesus Film:	No
Audio Recordings:	Yes
People Cluster:	New Guinea
Affinity Bloc:	Pacific Islanders
Progress Level:

Introduction / History

The Kapin people live in Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea, along the Middle Watut River. The people are subsistence farmers living in a valley at about 2200 feet elevation. Primary crops include yam, taro, pumpkin and various fruits. Sources of income include coffee and gold.

The Lutherans first came to work in the area in the 1930s. Most Kapin speakers are involved in the Lutheran church, and a few are aligned with the Association of Local Churches (ALC).

The people are proud of their community, value their language and have a fairly high level of education. Although Tok Pisin is the first language for some segments of the population, the vernacular is valued and is in use in the villages, especially by the older generations.

A translation team began work just outside the Kapin language area in the mid-1980s for a few months, but had to leave for health reasons. In 2002, a Kapin man attended a Translator Training Course and began translation. In 2004, three other men joined him in the translation work, attended a second training course, and translated portions of Genesis and Exodus.