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
Have you ever read Five Little Pennies and How They Grew? It’s a great little book—probably my favorite children’s book.
By:
Jason Harral
November 01 2009, 4:00 am | Comments 0
Apparently God wants us to get to Benin as soon as possible! In addition to blessing us with a small but amazing church in Wyoming that stepped up to provide 10 percent of our financial goals, He recently gave me an amazing experience that made His call even clearer.
By:
Jason Harral
October 01 2009, 4:00 am | Comments 0
Here is a recipe for West African pâté de riz (rice pâté). This is a favorite in my household—or it was when rice was cheaper.
By:
Suzy & Fidel Baldwin-Noutehou
September 01 2009, 2:07 pm | Comments 0
In April, after attending Orientation at the AFM office, I was invited to preach in my home church in Wyoming. This church consists of 18 members in a town of 3,000 people.
By:
Jason Harral
September 01 2009, 4:00 am | Comments 0
We are amazed and overjoyed that we are now missionaries-in-training with AFM. A year ago, such a possibility wasn’t in our thoughts. Six months ago, it seemed highly unlikely.
By:
Jason & Maggi Harral
August 01 2009, 4:00 am | Comments 0
Hyaicenthe’s ears perked up when he heard the story, and he got the man’s name before he left. Hyaicenthe is a Gospel Outreach worker who does a short Ditammari-language program.
By:
Suzy & Fidel Baldwin-Noutehou
July 01 2009, 2:09 pm | Comments 0
For a long time, it has been a dream of mine to have a health fair. In February, Immanuel, our student missionary, and I started brainstorming. Where could we hold the fair?
By:
Suzy & Fidel Baldwin-Noutehou
June 01 2009, 2:12 pm | Comments 0
This past Sabbath afternoon, Jeanne and I headed to the other end of town to see a family that attends my Sunday-morning meeting. The man has two wives, and they have both given birth in the past two weeks.
By:
Suzy & Fidel Baldwin-Noutehou
May 01 2009, 2:14 pm | Comments 0
The team here in Natitingou is working on cultural studies. After all our years of working here, why do we still need to study the culture and worldview of the Ottammari people? What is a worldview and why is it important to understand it?
By:
Suzy & Fidel Baldwin-Noutehou
March 01 2009, 3:22 pm | Comments 0
On Sunday morning, I headed to Pelima with Jeanne to meet with our Bible-study group there. Over the last couple of weeks, the group had diminished from more than 20 adults to about five.
By:
Suzy & Fidel Baldwin-Noutehou
February 01 2009, 3:23 pm | Comments 0
