About the People
About 150,000 Otammari live in Northern Benin and Togo. They are famous for their masonry and their traditional homes that resemble mud castles. Most are subsistence farmers and hunters.
Illiteracy is high among this group. Many people only read French, the administrative language of Benin. Very few can read or write their heart language, Ditammari. Most cling to animism and ancestor worship and have resisted both Islam and Christianity. Each household has a family altar called the fetish, where the father of the household makes sacrifices and appeals to the spirits of the ancestors. Participation in initiation ceremonies is of the highest importance for teenage boys and girls.
The whole Bible is translated into Ditammari, but it is out of print. However, the Holy Spirit is moving among these people who have traditionally been extremely resistant to outsiders. Evangelical Christians of several denominations have noticed a dramatic change in their openness in recent years.
About the Project
AFM missionaries have been ministering to the Otammari people since Linden and Michelle St. Clair launched the project in 1996. Today, Ulrike Baur-Kouato leads the project, assisted by her husband Toussaint and three local evangelists. They are working to nurture the church in Natitingou and a growing number of groups in surrounding villages. Suzy Baldwin worked on the Otammari Project for many years and now serves on the Pendjari Project.
People-Group Facts
- Population: 150,000
- Language: Ditammari
- Religion: Animist
We had almost made it into our car and out of the parking lot after church before somebody asked us the question we have heard so often lately: “Oh, are you back from Africa already?”
By:
Jason & Maggi Harral
June 01 2011, 4:00 am | Comments 0
Have you ever wanted to go to the mission field and participate in the daily lives of AFM missionaries?
By:
Jason Harral
May 01 2011, 4:00 am | Comments 0
“If you could ask God one question, what would it be?” This seemed like a strange question to have on a health seminar survey.
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Jason & Maggi Harral
April 01 2011, 4:00 am | Comments 0
“When I get a job, I would like to support your project.” “Well, thank you!” I replied to my student friend. “We appreciate that.”
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Jason Harral
March 01 2011, 5:00 am | Comments 0
Hi, I’m Booben! Sometimes I say “Reuben,” but Booben is still easier for me to say.
By:
Reuben Harral
February 01 2011, 5:00 am | Comments 0
“Bonjour! J’apprends le français,” I said to people walking by. “Hi! I’m learning French.”
By:
Maggi Harral
December 01 2010, 5:00 am | Comments 0
As I look back over my 11 years in Benin, many of my memories have to do with fabric. Here, fabric is usually sold in two-meter lengths and is used for many things.
By:
Suzy & Fidel Baldwin-Noutehou
November 01 2010, 1:36 pm | Comments 0
If you are reading this article, it is probably because you know us personally or because you like this magazine so much that you read it from cover to cover. You like to read about missionaries, but have you considered missionary training for yourself?
By:
Jason Harral
November 01 2010, 4:00 am | Comments 0
