| Mali |
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| Fast Facts of Mali |
| Population: 12 million Languages: French (official), Bambara, Indigenous Languages Major religions: Islam, Indigenous Beliefs Date entered by WorldVenture: 1999 Number of WorldVenture workers: 16 Location of WorldVenture work: Southern savannas |
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| The Land and the People of Mali |
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The landlocked country of Mali is one of the world’s poorest nations. Relatively flat, Mali has three main land regions: the harsh Sahara desert to the north, the semiarid Sahel in central Mali, and rolling savanna in the south. Although large areas of Mali are barren, the country is able to feed its people due to the fertile Niger River basin. Almost all agricultural work is still done by hand. Similar to other developing nations, the Malian people suffer from a lack of education and poor health conditions. In the years since gaining independence from France in 1962, Mali has suffered droughts, rebellions, a coup and a 27-year-long military dictatorship. In 1992 Mali’s first democratic presidential election was held, resulting in a relatively peaceful political climate. The nation of Mali is home to more than 33 distinct ethnic groups and opportunities are abundant for the spreading of the gospel.
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Mali Map | Satellite
Click and drag the map. Use the zoom tool on the right to zoom down on a city or area. Click the Hybrid view to see both map and satellite imagery; click the Satellite view to see satellite imagery. |
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| WorldVenture's Work in Mali |
WorldVenture's ministry in Mali began with church planting among the Supyire/Senoufo people that resulted in two churches. Both of these churches are involved in evangelism and discipleship to their people group. As more WorldVenture missionaries arrived, they began translating the Bible for the Shempire/Senoufo people, directing a school for missionaries' children in Bamako, and evangelizing and planting churches using women's literacy. The team is also involved in youth outreach, children's Bible classes, drama, radio, photography and other creative approaches.
List ministry opportunities in Mali
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| Goals and Future Direction of the Work |
The diverse approaches to ministry in Mali will open many opportunities for creative evangelism and leadership development. The WorldVenture team seeks to use drama and radio programs, computer tech support, photography, as well as study rooms for teaching English-as-a-second-language, to develop redemptive relationships. The team's mentoring relationships and children's classes are training believers be future church leaders who will then train others.
The team's ministry of translating God's Word into local languages and teaching people to read will give believers the tools to become fruitful followers of Christ.
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