The Vai script was invented in response to the great transformations that occurred during the period of European colonialism. West Africans who previously had not used phonetic script traditions, such as Roman or Arabic, found them to be powerful modes of communication. Observing the political, commercial and religious uses of these scripts, Africans invented their own-and they later became important expressions of cultural identity. Five indigenous phonetic scripts were developed for the Mande language groups spoken in Liberia, Sierra Leone and southwestern Mali. The oldest of these is Vai, which was invented around 1832 by Momolu Duwalu Bukele of Liberia. Each script was revealed to its inventor in a dream or vision, but its creation was often attributed to a high-ranking chief or king. These syllabaries-each character stands for a consonant and vowel sound-were used primarily for keeping records, exchanging correspondence and translating the Qur'an and the Bible. The modern form of the popular Vai script contains up to 212 characters and is written from left to right. Today, it is utilized for newspapers, announcements and fiction, and it appears on tombstones and in the context of female masking traditions. A landmark "Unicode" initiative is underway to make the Vai script available for email and the Internet in an effort to ensure its relevance in the 21st century.