Burkina Faso is a country in the so-called Sahel region. The Sahel is a 5,000-kilometer-long "belt" located beneath the Sahara Desert in North Africa, and includes countries from Senegal to Sudan. Figures and data on the Sahel show that this is a crisis-ridden region. The population in the Sahel faces insecurities in many areas, from violence by extremist groups such as Boko Haram, the Islamic State (IS), and al-Qaeda in the west to the "North Korea-like" authoritarian regime of Eritrea in the east. Political instability, persistent drought, and poverty obscure signs of hope. Nevertheless, the Good News of the Kingdom of God is crucial good news for the Sahel. In and with Jesus, the Sahel has a bright future. It is from this reality that we work and pray.
