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Summary

Unity. Progress. Justice. When the Burnkinabe people escaped centuries of subjugation and French colonization to gain independence in 1960, this motto embodied unbridled hope for Burkina Faso, “the country of honorable people.” Some fifty years later, almost eighty ethnic groups embrace countless religious practices, including earth priests, fortune tellers, healers, witchcraft, and animal sacrifice. The result is an ethnically integrated secular state with no fulfillment of those original bold ambitions. But the gospel can provide them hope.

Burkina Faso is a landlocked western African nation. Its vast savanna is vulnerable to drought, making subsistence living difficult for the majority of the population. The nation is one of the world’s poorest, with almost half of the seventeen million Burkinabe below the poverty line and an unemployment rate hovering at 77%. Excess mortality from the HIV/ AIDS epidemic has led to an infant mortality rate almost twice the nation’s rate of birth. The median age is 16.9 years, and literacy stands at an abysmal 22%, one of the lowest in the world.

Clan or lineage plays a significant role in the Burkinabe family, which is highly patriarchal. Three or four generations may share a home, and hospitality and politeness are key components of the culture. Extreme poverty has led to massive migration of workers to Cote d’Ivoire for seasonal work, where the majority convert to Islam. Approximately half the population is Muslim and the remainder is equally divided among Christians and ethnic religions. Unfortunately, each of these groups is also deeply involved in the occult. The church has not escaped the challenges facing the Burkinabe. There is great need for leadership, mentoring, financial support, and a willingness to evangelize the unreached.

There is also, however, great opportunity to be seized. Due to the cultural reliance on oral history and storytelling, the spoken Word of Life compels the lost to seek Him until the Bible can be translated to each tribe’s language. Poverty and HIV/ AIDS create opportunities to show the love of Christ through economic and medical assistance programs. Meanwhile, the church is growing, and indigenous missions are finding success. As these groups set an example of unity, many will be drawn to faith.

quick facts

continent:
Africa
religion:
Muslim 56%, Christian 24%, Ethnic religions 20%, Agnostic 1%
capital city:
Ouagadougou
language:
Mòoré, Jula, Fulah, Gourmanchéma, Bisa
government:
Presidential Republic
GDP per capita:
$2,200
literacy rate:
39.3%
population:
21,382,659
major groups of people:
35% Mossi (Moshi); 11% Jula (Dyula); 5% Gurma (Gourmance); 4% Bissa (Bisa); 3% Gurma Fulani (Fulbe)
POPULATION IN UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUPS:
23.2%

prayer points

01

An end to violence. Praise God for the many people who have developed an openness to the gospel as a result of these challenging circumstances

02

The church to reach out to non-Christian neighbors to show Christ’s love. Pray they would stand firm and shine as a light in the darkness

03

Wisdom for our leaders, as they decide how SIM can safely and effectively respond to this humanitarian crisis with love and the good news

04

The church of Burkina Faso to continue to grow in maturity and numbers

05

Our many ministries to demonstrate and share God’s love in ways that transform lives for Christ during these difficult times

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