Welcome to Sahel/Sub-Saharan Africa
Stretching across a continent of varied landscapes, Sahel/Sub-Saharan Africa is made up of expressive, tenacious, and friendly people who have survived eras of conflict and famine.
About the Region
From cosmopolitan coastlines to traditional villages in the bush, Sahel/Sub-Saharan Africa’s peoples are vibrant and energetic.
Many Christians live in parts of this region. But Islam’s influence is expansive, stretching from the Red Sea down into East Africa and westward toward the Atlantic along the southern edge of the Sahara desert.
The Sahel, a semi-arid belt separating the Sahara from the savanna, covers a large part of this Muslim region. This landscape of grass and shrubs rolls across the breadth of the continent, providing cropland and pasture for farmers and nomadic herders.
Political instability and humanitarian crises have characterized some countries in the region. Abundant opportunities exist to advocate for social justice, serve the urban poor, and bring about Gospel transformation.
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•Dominated by the Sahel, a semi-arid grassland separating the Sahara from the savanna
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•A diverse landscape of rugged mountains, baobab forests, and wild marshes
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•Home to several nomadic people groups with no access to the Gospel
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•A spiritually complex land where folk traditions intermingle with Islamic practice
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•Full of unlimited opportunities to engage in issues of social justice
Spiritual Climate
Throughout Sahel/Sub-Saharan Africa, Muslims have a heightened awareness of the spiritual world around them. Their devotion to Islam is steeped in folk practices meant to appease spirits and guard against sickness, misfortune, and curses.
In parts of the region, the stain of slavery retains a visible hold on hearts and lives. Along the Atlantic coast, slave trading forts still stand, marking the door of no return for untold millions of enslaved Africans shipped across the Atlantic to the Americas. In some countries, pernicious class systems perpetuate the enslavement of marginalized peoples.
Opportunities
You can use your gifts to bring eternal transformation to Muslim communities in Sahel/Sub-Saharan Africa! Pursue your passions and put your skills and education to use in fields such as:
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•Community development
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•Skills training
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•Business and consulting
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•Education
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•Public health
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•Refugee ministry
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•Social justice
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•English teaching
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•Engineering
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•IT
Read More About the Region
Find Your Place in Sahel/Sub-Saharan Africa
Ready to imagine living among the world’s friendliest people in Sahel/Sub-Saharan Africa?
Get started now by telling us about your interests, and a Frontiers team member will be in touch.