The community acceptance of the Temi
alphabet appears in the words carved
into wood.

With the growth of the population, the hedges have fallen away, and some of the gateways have collapsed. A few, however, still stand, where they are significant during processionals leading to the central plaza.

In this picture you see a gateway repaired by the warriors. Over the lintel, they have inscribed ɔhɔ nƐƐbwigƐ meaning, "This is Digodigo," correctly using the extra vowels Ɛ and ɔ. (The alphabet in the National language Swahili, which people know from school, has only five vowels: a, e, i, o, u. The Temi language has seven vowels and therefore needs two extra vowel symbols to be written correctly).

When we expressed surprise at their energetic use of the new symbols, translator Adam replied, "Well I taught them, and they understood it right away. Besides, they learned the alphabet from the calendars and books!" That inscription shows that the new alphabet has found community acceptance, and is, after all, easy to use, and carved into wood for the next generation.