Dogon, Toro So in Mali

Introduction / History

The Dogon groups live in a dry remote savannah area in the mid-section of Mali, stretching into Burkina Faso. Their territory includes a rocky plateau in the West and a sandy plain in the east, separated by a 400-700 meter high sheer cliff. The Dogon built their first villages in caves in this cliff, safe from the slave raids of the Fulani nomads who roamed the area. Isolated and distrustful of outsiders, they grew into a scattering of micro-communities, eventually each with a different language. These different languages have divided the Dogons into roughly 20 groups. One of these is the Toro So Dogons.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Life in the bare rocky cliffs is harsh. In many cases, soil for gardens was brought in from the plains below, and pigeon dung collected from the cliff face was used as fertilizer. Since the Fulani have been subdued (since colonial times), the Toro So Dogons have spread out from the cliff onto the plateau (where onions have been introduced as a cash crop) and into the plain (where they grow millet.) They also grow rice, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, and raise livestock.

Dogons are known for their wooden sculptures and mask dances.

Dogon families are close-knit, and the village is much like an extension of the family. People work together, hunt together, and perform ceremonies as a village. They greatly value harmony. Dogons have a ceremony where the men thank the women and the women praise the men.

They have a strong oral tradition. Griots are storytellers and the keepers of their oral history. They pass down their history, traditions, and stories to the younger generations. They often tell about Nommo, their common ancestor, and the creator of the world.

What Are Their Beliefs?

For centuries, the Toro So Dogons resisted Islam. But as society modernizes, they are increasingly deciding that animistic religion is no longer adequate and grudgingly accept Islam, for lack of an alternative. In the few villages where Christianity has been lived out by missionaries, or locals who have become Christians elsewhere, one can indeed see the growth of the Christian faith.

What Are Their Needs?

A lack of workers hampers the harvest. There is an immediate need for workers for all 20 Dogon subgroups. Each will need to be able to speak the local language, and they must excel in love and good works.

Prayer Points

Pray for an abundance of workers to take the name of Christ to each Dogon group, including the Toro So Dogons.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to move in every Toro So family, giving them a hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Pray for divine dreams for Toro So Toro So Dogon family leaders and griots, that will direct them to the cross.
Pray for the Lord to give them an abundant harvest as a testimony of his goodness and power.

Text Source:   Joshua Project