Across the Sahel, people face innumerable challenges daily — from the political climate and insecurity, to famine and a lack of education. Women and girls experience additional obstacles regarding education and women’s rights. Yet even in darkness, the Word of God shines brightly.
The Sahel. A vast region in northern Africa that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the coast of the Red Sea, enveloping the countries of Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Sudan, and Eritrea. It is a land rich in history and culture and known for its great potential for renewable energy**.
However, this developing region is also known for its extremely high rates of child brides, illiteracy and lack of education — especially regarding girls. According to the UN Gender Inequality Index, Mali, Chad and Niger are among the top ten countries with the least gender equality.
The practice of child brides remains common in the Sahel region. Seventy-six per cent of girls are married before their 18th birthday, and of that percentage, twenty-eight per cent are married before they turn 15. In 2020, there were an estimated one million child brides in the Sahel and over 95 per cent of girls in the Sahel have no education. Over 61 per cent of these brides give birth before age eighteen, and 12 per cent give birth before turning 15***.
The lack of education and gender inequality that girls and women face are contributing factors to the ancient cultural practices such as female genital mutilation and other gender-based violence that still occur.
While religious plurality exists in many areas of the Sahel, Islam is the most common and influences and impacts much of day-to-day life. However, even in the darkest and least-reached parts of the world, the Word of God does not fail to convict and change people and bring hope to those who need it most.
Though they may be few in number and spread out across the region, there are Jesus followers in the Sahel: Christian believers in Mali make up 3 per cent of the population, 1.5 per cent in Niger, 4.5 per cent in Senegal and 1 per cent in Sudan.
As communities of Jesus followers learn about what is said in the Bible, the value that God places on women becomes evident. The book of Genesis says that God created man and woman in His own image and throughout the Bible, it can be seen that there is no lack of women empowered by God to do His work. Great women like Deborah, Esther, Rahab and Mary. Jesus performed His first miracle at the request of His mother, Mary. Many people came to Christ through the Samaritan woman to whom Jesus had revealed Himself as the Messiah, and it was to a group of women that He appeared after His resurrection.
The Spirit of God at work
Today, women across the Sahel are being trained and equipped by Women of Impact Africa, which helps women rise to their God-given potential and become beacons of light in their communities.
The ministry helps women discover their identity and value in Christ, learn the importance of practical skills and community development in forming vibrant communities of Jesus followers, and aims to equip women to start disciple making movements (DMM).
Through these trainings, Women of Impact Africa has equipped 120 women. Female leaders and practitioners in nearly every country in Africa that OM works in have been engaging with women through different access points, developing their teams and also mobilising more women to join the movement. To ensure support for the trainees, there are monthly follow-up and coaching calls with new as well as existing trainees.
The fruits of their labour
The impact of these trainings has already shown fruit. One woman shared how she would beat and verbally abuse her children before she partook in a Women of Impact Africa training. After the training, the woman said she is now calmer and shows her children love when correcting them. This was not only noticed by her children but also by her husband, who was shocked to see the change in her.
Women who are being strengthened through the training and the Word of God are not only empowering themselves but others as well and become living testimonies and witnesses to those around them.
“As a woman joining my husband in missions, I didn't know what I had to offer or how to reach out to other women,” said one of the women. “But now I have discovered that I do have specific gifts and abilities that are valuable. I am now confident and equipped to be able to reach out to other women.”
Testimonies
A few women shared how Discovery Study Bibles (DBS) have allowed them to reach other young women and girls.
“I have already been training many young girls in different skills and trying to do Bible study with them,” said Falmata*. “Now that I have learnt and experienced how powerful DBS are, just through asking questions, I will begin implementing that right away.”
Zara* said: "Since I was first trained with Women of Impact Africa last year, I decided to change my strategy on how I was reaching the women. Instead of me going everywhere on my own, I decided to invite other women to be trained, and then I send them back out to their communities to reach the girls. This has helped me to have a wider impact. We are focussed on reaching the young girls that are forced into marriage around age 15. Through the skills training and DBS groups we are seeing girls accept Jesus."
“I am so thankful to know Jesus and follow Him, even though I have faced many challenges because of it. I used to live in fear, but now since knowing Jesus I am free from fear. In the past I used to get sick often, but since becoming a Christian my health has also improved. I now have my own Discovery Bible Study group with women that are like how I used to be. I teach them skills and we discover Jesus from the Bible together," shared Ava*.
“There are five other villages I have started visiting as well that each have potential for a women’s Discovery Bible Study group. In the past, I used to walk long distances to share everything that I have been learning from a Women of Impact leader, with other women, but I thank God that now He has provided a motorbike for me to make it easy to go to different villages to start discovery groups and skills training with women," said Elisabeth*. "Please pray for my husband to also accept Jesus, and God’s grace as I continue to withstand persecution from some family members.”
Let us continue praying for the spread of the Word of God in the Sahel region and for the women there who are like lights shining in the darkness, bringing others to Christ. For as Luke 10:2 says: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (ESV).
*name changed
***https://data.unicef.org/resources/child-marriage-in-the-sahel-brochure/