Burkina Faso
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- One of the world’s poorest countries. Over 80% of the population relies on subsistence agriculture.
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DEMOGRAPHY
ECONOMY |
LIFE & LIBERTY |
Contents |
[edit] Geography
[edit] Location
- Burkina Faso, formerly known as Upper Volta, is a landlocked country located in the middle of West Africa’s hump. Its neighbors are Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Benin, Togo and Ghana. It is geographically in the Sahel ― the agricultural region between the Sahara Desert and the coastal rain forests. The largest river is the Mouhoun (Black Volta), which is partially navigable by small craft. Burkina Faso has West Africa's largest elephant population. Game preserves also are home to lions, hippos, monkeys, warthogs and antelope. Infrastructure and tourism are, however, not well developed. The population if mostly divided to two major West African cultural groups ― the Voltaic and the Mande (whose common language is Dioula). The [[Voltaic[[ Mossi make up about one-half of the population. The Mossi claim descent from warriors who migrated to present-day Burkina Faso from Ghana and established an empire that lasted more than 800 years. Predominantly farmers, the Mossi kingdom is still led by the Mogho Naba, whose court is in Ouagadougou.
[edit] Climate
[edit] Natural Resources
[edit] Demographics
[edit] Peoples
- Dagaari Dioula, Wala, see for more details: Cluster Malinke-Jula and Joshua Project
- Mossi,
- Bobo,
- Fulani - http://en.etnopedia.org/wiki/index.php/Fulani%2C_Gorgal
- Gourma
- The tribes Karaboro, Gouins, Senoufo and Turca have thus far remained virtually untouched by the Gospel. These peoples are still living in the darkness. The famous waterfalls are a place of sacrifice and every year people die there. I heard a pastor talk about people who had transformed themselves into elephants in a village called Tiefora. These “elephants” were heard speaking Karaboro! Another village called Sindou was given over to evil spirits by one of its chiefs. It is famous for some remarkable rock formations called “pics”. They still go up into these rocks to sacrifice to evil spirits. Pray for these tribes, pray for the spiritual strongholds to be broken.
[edit] Provinces
[edit] Life
- There have been several conflicts recently between elders of the royal family and Christian members of the same family. In Kaan (Gan) tradition, the royal family has rights of burial and the rights to arrange marriages for its members. Marriages are often arranged without regard to the choice or will of the young woman involved, and some royal women who have become Christians have refused what amounts to a forced marriage to a non-Christian. In addition, some royal Christians have died expressing a desire not to be buried with traditional pagan rites but to be buried by leaders of the local church. In recent cases leaders of the royal family, accompanied by young men with clubs and machetes, have forcibly taken the bodies at the funerals to bury them in their own cemetery with their own rites. A group of Kaan pastors filed an official charge against the Kaan King of inciting violence and depriving them of their rights to freedom of religion guaranteed to them in Burkina Faso's constitution and civil law. Please pray, as this case has still to pass through the courts.
[edit] Economy
- Workers and civil servants generally have the right to organize unions, engage in collective bargaining, and strike for better pay and working conditions.
[edit] Government
[edit] Religion
- Burkinabe are Muslim, but most also adhere to traditional African religions. The Mossi rulers initially resisted the introduction of Islam to Burkina Faso. Islam and local fetishism serve as the religion of choice for most people. The government estimated that 17% of the population practices Roman Catholicism, and 3% are members of various Protestant denominations. Burkina Faso’s constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respected this right in practice.
[edit] Islam
About 75% adhere Islam mixed with animism.
[edit] Buddhism
[edit] Christianity
[edit] History
- Roman Catholic missionaries began work in 1900 and today the Catholic Church is the largest Christian denomination in Burkina Faso. It is presently experiencing growth at the rate of 12,000 converts a year, having its greatest success among the Mossi people (11% claim Catholicism).
- In 1921 North American Pentecostals arrived in Burkina Faso, establishing the Assemblies of God denomination, which is now the largest Protestant denomination. The Christian and Missionary Alliance entered in 1923, followed by SIM in 1930, WEC International in 1937, and the Southern Baptists in 1971.
- SIM opened work at Fada N'Gourma among the Gourma people in the east. Two Bible schools have emerged out of SIM's ministry there. In 1962 the Association des Eglises Evangéliques de Burkina Faso was formed. This association, now called Eglises Evangélique/SIM (EE/SIM), has 465 organized churches and 40 developing churches among four people groups. There are also 11 vernacular Bible schools. An estimated 8% of the nation's population is evangelical Christian.
- Burkina Faso is increasingly receptive to the message of Jesus, and missionaries are welcome. Practical ministry lends credibility, and a readiness to listen is more evident than in previous years. Work is slow, however, and only recently has the church experienced growth. Muslims are generally not receptive, but some groups like the Mossi, Bobo, and Gourma show increasing signs of interest.
- Improvements in the nation’s education have caused restlessness and frustration among the young people, who are now better educated than their parents. Churches struggle to provide appealing programs for children and youth. Many youth leave home for the city, where it is reported that many of them convert to Islam within a few months.
[edit] Churches
[edit] Church and State Relations
[edit] Challenges to Christians:
- Female genital mutilation, child labor, child trafficking and social exclusion of accused sorcerers remain serious problems, although the government has taken steps in recent years to combat these phenomena.
- The power of the occult has yet to be decisively challenged and broken in many peoples of Burkina Faso. Few countries in West Africa are more dominated by idolatry, fetishism and secret societies. Even in the churches occult power is wielded, hampering and polluting the message of Christ. Pray that the power of the risen Christ might be demonstrated for the saving of many.
[edit] Mission and Evangelization
- Burkina Faso has known significant people movements with thousands of conversions. Despite church growth, increased missionary exertions and greater responsiveness, there remain 24 peoples without an effective witness; 11 of these are Muslim. A more comprehensive survey is currently being undertaken but needs more local denominational backing. Most unevangelized peoples lie within the area of witness of existing missions. Churches and missions working in areas with unreached peoples often tend to favour more responsive or closely-related peoples. Pray for the recruitment and deployment of pioneer workers from Africa and the world to evangelize the unreached peoples. The power of the occult has yet to be decisively challenged and broken in many peoples.
- Praise God for these missionaries who are committed to the task of translating the Bible into local languages, reaching youth and street children, clean water development and developing HIV/AIDS related ministries.
- Pray for the Fulani ministry and workers in the South West region. A team of Christian Fulani musicians visited the areas of Gaoua, Batié and Sidéradougou for evangelization. Workers are learning their language, that it will become easier to share the message. Pray for dreams and visions for the Fulani Muslims and that many will find The Way.
[edit] Broadcasting
- In Burkina Faso plays radio still a big role as in many other African countries. In towns and villages music fills the air as the sound of radios is heard everywhere. The Radio ESO, the Christian Radio Station of the south west area, makes broadcasts in several local languages and is heard by eager listeners. It has already been a blessing to many in the area. The personnel needs wisdom and health in their tasks at the station. The equipment needs protection. The churches need in their discipling of new converts the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
[edit] Councils and Networks
[edit] Future Trends
[edit] For More Reading
