Bambara in Guinea

Bambara in Guinea

The Bambara are one of the major people groups in West Africa. In Mali, they are one of the most influential, but they can also be found throughout West Africa in such countries as Guinea. The Bambara are primarily agricultural, but they also raise livestock and maintain a culture of hunting. Both men and women aid in the farming, and even the children help guide the plowing animals. Their villages are divided by lineage into households of up to 60 members who help and provide for each other. The Bambara once held their own traditional beliefs and still hold on to some of them today, but currently they are primarily Islamic.

Ministry Obstacles

Though some Islamic villages have established schools, many non-Islamic villages have chosen to prioritize working in their fields over education. As such, literacy is low in some places, which could hamper the spread of written gospel materials.

Outreach Ideas

Some villages might have an interest in schooling if it did not conflict with farming, so Christian schools might be accepted. Also, many of Jesus' parables were based around agriculture and livestock, which might be easily understood by the Bambara people.

Scripture Focus

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  Psalm 119:105

Scripture Prayer

Pray that many from this people group will discover this to be true for their own communities.

Prayer Focus

Pray that God would bless the Bambara – their families, their fields and their animals. Pray that their hearts would be like good soil in which a planted seed produces a good harvest. Pray for Disciple Making Movements to spread to each of their villages.