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Compassion Corps Presents:
An Amazing Man from Timbuktu, Mali
Sunday, September 28
7-8:30 PM, Dale Hall
Media Presbyterian Church
30 E. Baltimore Ave., Media, PA

Come early if you can for an hour of prayer for the work in Mali from 6-7PM in Dale Hall

The life story of Nouh Ag Infa Yattara, set in one of the most remote and harsh regions of the world, is one of suffering, betrayal, tragedy,courage, deliverance and enduring faith. Steve Saint, an inspiration to thousands through his recent movie, End of the Spear,was himself inspired by Nouh when they were both still young men. Pastor Nouh will share some of the highlights of his journey from scorned Bella youth to distinguished leader of the only recognized Christian ministry of compassion in the Belt of Misery which wraps around the Muslim city of Timbuktu.

Nouh is also happy to have his wife, Fati, with him on this visit. We look forward to hearing her share news of their 3 sons as well as the 7 children they have taken into their home!

Mali, at the base of the Sahara desert, has been consistently ranked one of the worst places in the world for women and children. Come hear what one remarkable couple is doing to change this & how we might help!

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Fadilla is a teenage girl who has lived with her large family in very poor conditions in the outskirts of a North African village. She works for one of our partner families who operate a children’s home for orphans and abandoned children. Fadilla is trying to finish her high school education and works to be able to pay the fees that are incurred as her family is too poor to help her. Her work also helps to support her family.

Fadilla and her family have been living in a meager little rented house, but two years ago the owner of the house demanded that they leave the property. Fadilla’s father is unemployed and tries to support his family by selling little oddities. Through this and by selling some of the family’s sheep he has been able to purchase a small piece of property in a nearby village. He has been trying to build a room or two on the site and has managed to get to window height. However, now the owner of the property where they currently live has ordered them off his property by the end of August. The family cannot yet move into the house, and their funds are limited at best.

The family for whom Fadilla works has decided to help them rent a small house even though their own funds are very few. It is part of their way to invest into the lives of their neighbors and love them as Jesus would. They can only afford to do this for about 6 months which will give Fadilla’s family a chance to finish building their home.

Fadilla has attended the Compassion Corps’ women’s ministry classes for the past 3 years. She is a very fast learner and she quickly mastered the basics of crocheting. Within just a couple of months, Fadilla taught herself how to make little pocketbooks. As teams came over with other materials, Fadilla added things like beads and sequins to her designs, and this past year, she has begun designing crocheted clothing! She sells her creations to help support her family and it is a thrill to see what she has learned and how resourceful she is!

Located in the westernmost part of Africa, Senegal is a hub of tourism with its beaches that touch the Atlantic Ocean, its deserts to the north and its forests to the south.  Senegal is known for its music, its hospitality, and its bustling nightlife especially in its capital city of Dakar.

Originally a part of the empire of Ghana in the 8th century, Senegal was controlled by France in the 19th century and became its own republic in 1960.  While there is freedom of religion in Senegal, close to 90% of its population practices Islam or a form of folk Islam.  Among the many indigenous tribal peoples in Senegal, two major groups are the Serer and the Wolof peoples.

Compassion Corps has partnered with several agencies to help further their efforts to be a blessing to Wolof, Serer, Pular and other tribal peoples in and around the cities of Dakar and Thies.  Our partners are working to help orphans and impoverished children, especially the street boys known as the Talibe, who are at great risk. Initiatives which provide specific help for women such as literacy, micro-credit, and vocational training classes, are a strategic part of CC’s work in the region. We are also promoting village and project adoptions which can facilitate economic development efforts for peoples in real need of pure water, dependable harvests, accessible health care, and schools for their children.

Short-term teams spend time at beautiful yet haunting Goree Island where thousands of slaves were sent through the “door of no return” on their way to the Americas.  How refreshing to gather for tea under a village “hospitality” tree, to teach village children to play, to sleep in tents while listening to the women pounding their millet in the early morning hours or to watch them bustling about carrying water and firewood on their heads. What a privilege to assist our partners in bringing relief and hope to so many in the sands of Senegal!

Liberia, known as the land of the free, was founded by freed slaves that had come from America.  The country has endured two decades of civil war and is just beginning its steps toward recovery under the strong leadership of their president.  It is the needs that have come about as rebuilding takes place that has caught the attention of Compassion Corps.

Liberia declared itself an independent republic in 1847.  Their constitution and declaration of independence are based on those of the United States.  Civil war broke out in 1989 and unrest has persisted until recently under the influence of different leaders and rebel groups.  Liberians fled to other countries as they saw fellow countrymen indiscriminately and ruthlessly killed and raped.  Peace has finally come, but it continues to be a fragile one.  Liberia is considered a Christian nation, with over 50% considered to be Christian, and a great weight of responsibility for compassionate action rests upon the shoulders of the indigenous Liberian Church.

Compassion Corps has been invited to partner with Lighthouse Baptist Church of Oldest Congo Town in the capital city of Monrovia, and also in outlying regions where the church is developing ministries of compassion.  CC is working to help children through the running of children’s camps and by holding teacher training for young teachers who have had basically only a high school education.   Effort is also  being made to look into ways to help with the rehabilitation of young Liberian men and women who were forced to become child soldiers during the war.

Short-term teams will sit mesmerized as Liberians share their stories of survival and hope during the dark years of the fighting.   Their joy and enduring hope is contagious and will inspire partners to labor alongside them in restoring education as well as stimulating economic and spiritual development.

Mali, known as the jewel in West Africa’s crown, boasts a long and fascinating history. The mysterious city of Timbuktu, alone, is enough to raise eyebrows.  Add to that the Sahara desert, trade routes on camel caravans, and the fascinating Tuareg & Bozo tribes and you have an extraordinary story.  But it is the poverty of Mali, ranked the fourth poorest country in the world by UNICEF, which has caught the attention of Compassion Corps.

Mali was conquered by the French in the middle of the 19th century, became part of the Sudanese Republic in 1958 and became an independent republic in 1960.  Ninety percent of Malians are Muslim with the rest following animist beliefs.  Timbuktu has been a center for Islamic learning since the Middle Ages.

Areas in which CC has been invited to partner include efforts in and around the city of Timbuktu where our partner, Pastor Nouh Ag Infa Yattara, has his ministry.  CC is working to help children, especially the orphaned & abandoned children of Timbuktu’s “Belt of Misery” by supporting the Elijah House Youth Center.   Compassion Corps also promotes village and project adoptions (wells & irrigation systems, schools, clinics) which permit economic development in regions of great need.  Another vital focus is bringing teams of medical professionals to malnourished peoples who have little to no access to medical care, yet who live in a region plagued with malaria and countless other diseases.  CC also invests time and resources toward helping to develop vocational training for destitute women at the Timbuktu Women’s Center.

Short-term teams revel in a walking tour of the city of Timbuktu as Pastor Nouh shares its fascinating history.  It is an unforgettable experience to sit on a mat under an acacia tree with a village chief, or to learn a traditional dance with a tribal woman, or to eat goat and millet out of one bowl with 8-10 others…all of this leaving the visitor yearning for their simplicity and joy in the midst of great difficulty.

Situated on the northwestern corner of Africa where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean, Morocco’s name, in fact, comes from an Arabic phrase Maghreb al-Aksa, meaning “The Land of the Furthest West.” Being the closest African country to Europe and to the US, Morocco serves as a doorway to the continent, with Casablanca the usual hub of Compassion Corps’ short-term adventures.

Morocco is officially a kingdom, whose current – very popular - king, Mohammed VI, is known for his progressive steps toward political, economic and social reform. The country is 99.99% Muslim, and Sunni Islam is the state religion. Although the Moroccan government maintains strict efforts to keep the state religion as that of its citizens, foreigners may worship freely in their respective communities and are, in most cases, increasingly welcomed to carry out humanitarian efforts.

Areas in which CC has been invited to partner include efforts to help children at risk in orphanages and youth centers, and in places which help children with special needs. Activities range from youth camps to birthday parties and medical care. Compassion Corps also invests time, funds, and resources toward helping to develop vocational training for women, and to promote village and project adoptions which permit economic development in regions of great need.

Short-term teams delight in the “Arabian Nights” flavor of the old, imperial cities which they visit and inevitably marvel at the contrast of donkeys and souks amidst the rapidly modernizing Moroccan society. Unforgettable moments shared while sipping mint tea with charming Berber families leaves the visitor yearning for their tranquil pace of life and longing for more of their refreshingly genuine hospitality.