The Ghana Institute of Linguistics, Literacy and Bible Translation (GILLBT) is a Christian non-governmental organization, born out of the vision to reach language communities with the Word of God in their mother tongue.

GILLBT grew out of work started in Ghana in 1962 as a branch of SIL International. It was set up to provide alphabets, grammars and reading materials in Ghanaian languages and promote mother tongue literacy in language communities.

In 1980, GILLBT came under Ghanaian leadership and is now a Member Organisation of Wycliffe Bible Translators International (WBTI). This means that, as well as being active in Ghanaian language programmes, we have a responsibility to recruit qualified Ghanaians who will serve in other African countries in translation and other related activities. It also seeks to partner with Ghanaian Churches to pray and raise financial assistance for the workers who will serve in other countries as well as Ghana.

 FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW

• It is estimated that 60 different languages are spoken in Ghana.
• GILLBT is involved in 34 language projects located in 6 Regions of Ghana.
• GILLBT has completed New Testament translation into 20 languages and 3 of these now also have the whole Bible.
• Each year, GILLBT provides community based education for over 37,000 learners who are socially, economically and politically marginalised. 
• Currently, GILLBT has 13 New Testament and 11 Old Testament projects in progress.
• GILLBT's work depends on partnerships with other organisations and individuals.

“Your mission as ambassadors of literacy deserves high praise. By transcribing into writing mother tongues that were previously unwritten, especially among tribes that are distant from urban centres, you are facilitating the preservation of ethnic cultures and building bridges for those cultures to the rest of Humanity.”
Mr. Javier Perez de Cueller, former United Nations Secretary General