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Located in the country’s northernmost region, the Dendi people of Benin live mainly in the lush plains of the Niger River. Many of the remaining Dendi live in the high grass areas, where there is little water and sparse vegetation. Sizable communities can also be found in the nearby countries of Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali. The Dendi ethnic group is one of approximately 70 ethnic groups in Benin, the least evangelized non-Muslim country south of the Sahara. They trace their origin to the eighth-century kingdom of Za and embraced Islam as early as 1010, but mixing it with their original animistic beliefs.
Dendi settlements usually consist of round, mud or thatched homes with straw roofs. Today, an increasing number of villagers live in rectangular mud-brick houses with corrugated tin roofs. Dendi settlements along the Niger River contain many rice fields and garden plots. Villages farther from the river are surrounded by bush areas and cultivated fields. Cowpeas, groundnuts, and manioc are the typical crops, but millet is grown from June to September during the brief rainy season.
Farming is considered noble labor among the Dendi and is for men only. The women have gardens where they grow mangoes, guavas, citrus fruits, papayas, dates, and bananas during the hot, dry season. They also cultivate carrots, tomatoes, peppers, cabbages, and various types of squash. Family members do most of the garden work. In addition to farming, the Dendi also raise some livestock.
The Dendi are almost entirely Muslim. Even though Islam introduced new elements to the Dendi culture, it left the underlying framework of custom and tradition virtually untouched. Islam is superficially important. Every town has a mosque. Some communities have imams (religious leaders) who teach Islamic philosophy and lead Muslim ceremonies. However, spirit possession, magic, sorcery, ancestor worship and witchcraft remain vital components of Dendi belief.
The Republic of Benin, a West African country roughly the size of Pennsylvania, is bordered by Togo, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger, and the Atlantic Ocean. Once the seat of the powerful Dahomey kingdom, Benin became a French colony in 1900 and gained independence in 1960, subsequently becoming the first African country to successfully transition from a dictatorship to a pluralistic political system.
Benin’s natural resources include oil, marble, limestone and timber. Industries include textiles, cigarettes, food and beverages, construction materials and petroleum. However, the economy is chiefly based on agriculture, and the tropical climate has two rainy and two dry seasons, with periods of intense drought causing much suffering for the Dendi people. Malnutrition is also a problem for many of them.
Currently, there are some Christian resources available in the Dendi language, but the majority of these precious people have not heard a clear presentation of the gospel.
Satan is very active here, but his activities are limited to the territory where we allow him to operate.
By:
Michée Badé
March 01 2010, 9:55 am | Comments 0
As we watched, waited and prayed, God’s providence and revelation guided us in the perplexities we met in our cultural studies and in developing our evangelism strategy. God even used our prayer life to lower Dendi cultural and religious barriers, and our Muslim friends began showing new interest in the gospel and Christianity.
By:
Michée Badé
February 01 2010, 9:49 am | Comments 0
Before joining AFM in 2006, I was happy to learn of their dedication to working alongside the Adventist Church at large. But how do I do that here in Benin when my mission project is 130 miles from the nearest Adventist church?
By:
Michée Badé
January 01 2010, 9:47 am | Comments 0
All over the world, people experience joy when they form new social attachments. Human beings are inherently social in nature. That is why we react with loneliness and despair when these bonds are broken. People need people.
By:
Michée Badé
December 01 2009, 9:46 am | Comments 0
The Assous are the only other Christian family out of the twenty-plus in our neighborhood. We met them for the first time in December 2006 when we visited all our immediate neighbors the day after we settled in our house in Kandi.
By:
Michée Badé
November 01 2009, 9:43 am | Comments 0
Recently, during a prolonged meeting after a Sunday soccer game, I had an opportunity to explain why I was not in a hurry to go to church that Sunday morning.
By:
Michée Badé
October 01 2009, 9:39 am | Comments 0
Though these gifts could be misinterpreted, we have no fear because we have no hidden agenda, and we’re not trying to buy converts. Our major goal is to put some personal flavor into our witnessing.
By:
Michée Badé
August 01 2009, 9:34 am | Comments 0
We believe our Dendi people will respond to Christianity most readily when they witness God’s holy power. We must overcome Satan’s counterfeit power with God’s sovereign supremacy.
By:
Michée Badé
July 01 2009, 9:32 am | Comments 0
How do missionary children support their parents in the family business? Can they help make disciples for Jesus? How can they play a proactive role in outreach?
By:
Michée Badé
May 01 2009, 9:30 am | Comments 0
The procession usually ends in front of the mayor’s office, and the ritual begins. Dressed in white, the priestesses begin to communicate with the spirits, invoking and coercing them to intervene on behalf of supplicants, or appeasing them so they leave them alone.
By:
Michée Badé
March 01 2009, 9:28 am | Comments 0
