Landlocked in West Africa, on the edges of the Sahara Desert, Burkina Faso is a country troubled by drought and famine. One of the world’s poorest countries, most of the population make just enough food to get by each day. Almost 2 million people have left Burkina and resettled in Cote d’Ivoire, Mali and France.

Since gaining independence from France in 1960, Burkina has seen several military take-overs of government and a string of dictators. Although it now has a ‘fairer’ democracy, in reality much power still rests with President Compaore. The assassination of a popular journalist, Norbert Zongo, in 1998 stirred up public feeling against the government.

Burkina Faso is the Hollywood of West Africa, hosting a film festival every other year.

Since the 1990s the evangelical churches have been growing.

There is a lively network of Assembly of God churches in Burkina – with as many as half of the people becoming Christians from a Muslim background.

Half of the population are Muslim but only a small minority of the missionaries are working specifically with these people groups. Pray that more people would respond to this challenge and have the passion and perseverance to reach more Muslim communities.

Burkina Faso is dominated by idol worship, secret societies and the occult, even in some churches. Pray that the power of the occult would be broken and the truth of Jesus would not be compromised.

1,500 students around the country are linked with Ougadougou University through cell groups. Pray for effective support and discipleship for these students.

The massive emigration of a fifth of the population to surrounding countries has caused devastating upheaval to individual families and the country as a whole, particularly since most of those who have left are men.

Only 2 indigenous languages in Burkina have a Bible – pray for the translators who have taken on the awesome challenge of translating more.