Hundreds of years ago during the Bambara Empire, the Marka people were a merchant community. They dominated trade between desert tribes and the roving Berber tribes who crossed the Sahara Desert.

Today they occupy 60 villages in western Burkina Faso. Several thousand Marka live in neighboring Mali. The complexity of the group, with its varied tribes and dialects, makes evangelization and translation work difficult. They are largely integrated with the Bambara or the Soninke peoples.

The Marka are typical of most West African groups in that they earn their living by farming and raising animals. More and more young men are traveling to Cote d’Ivoire to work on plantations; lack of job opportunities is a major problem for Marka youth.

Families live in square mud huts, and travel by foot, bicycle, moped, or donkey. People enjoy playing soccer, and also make pottery, cloth and wooden carvings.

The Marka keep a strict social and political hierarchy that includes a king, litigation chiefs, war chiefs, and heads of clans and families. There is one central "head" to unify the people, but also a certain amount of autonomy within each village.

The Marka people identify with and observe Islamic rituals. Though most are Muslims, there is a strong minority that identifies with the pre-Islamic animistic practices. They believe these practices will provide them with power and blessings.

They need translators, literacy workers and church planters in their area.

* Scripture Prayers for the Marka, Dafing in Mali.

Pray for cooperation and teamwork among different missionary agencies in Mali and Burkina Faso.
Pray for a spiritual hunger among the Marka people that will lead them to the cross.
Pray for Marka elders to open the door to the eternal gospel.
Pray for Marka believers to disciple others who in turn will disciple still others.