The Pursuit of Liberty in Senegal
JUST offshore from Dakar, the modern capital of Senegal, lies small Gorée Island. On it stands a stark reminder of a dark part of history—a slave house built in 1776.
It is one of many such houses in which from 150 to 200 slaves were confined in squalid conditions for up to three months before being shipped to faraway places. Families were split up, the members never to see one another again; the father might be sent to Louisiana in North America, the mother to Brazil or Cuba, and the children to Haiti, Guyana, or Martinique. What disregard for human liberty! This is also a powerful reminder that freedom is a precious privilege that has not always been the lot of all people.
I learned of this from the tourist brochure that I was reading aboard a plane heading for Senegal, the most westerly country on the big bulge of West Africa. Senegal’s savanna country lies between deserts to the north and east and dense jungles to the south. Here you can find the majestic, long-lived baobab tree, with its curious fruit called monkey bread, from which cream of tartar is made. This is also the land of monkeys and colorful birds and of quaint villages nestled in mango groves.
I sat back and thought about my long-awaited visit to this gateway to West Africa. Today, Senegal, with its seven million inhabitants from many different ethnic backgrounds, enjoys full liberty. But could it be that a person might be free physically, yet be enslaved to practices and superstitions that rob him of true liberty? I looked forward anxiously to meeting my spiritual brothers and learning firsthand of the progress, in that part of the world, of the truth that sets men free.—John 8:32.
‘Jehovah Wants You to Have This Building’
First on my agenda was a visit to the Watch Tower branch office and missionary home in Dakar. As we arrived at a modern-looking building in a quiet suburb, I noticed a large J on the front. My first question on the tour of the branch office was what the letter J stood for.
“It’s very interesting,” explained my guide [male]. “When we were looking for larger branch facilities in 1985, we visited this building, which was under construction. But we felt it was too large for our needs. When the owner heard that we were Jehovah’s Witnesses, he wanted very much to rent the building to us, as he knew of our honesty. ‘I’m sure your God, Jehovah, wants you to have this building,’ he said. ‘Why, look! There is even a big J on the front! When I had it put there, I thought it was to stand for my name John, but now I’m sure it’s for the name of God, Jehovah!’ We have been happy to be in this fine building for the past five years.”
Next I wanted to know how the preaching work got started in Senegal.
“The liberating waters of truth were introduced into Senegal in the early 1950’s by one of Jehovah’s Witnesses who came from France on a work contract. In 1965 a branch office was opened in Dakar to look after the work in the French-speaking countries of Senegal, Mali, and Mauritania, as well as in the English-speaking country of Gambia. Since 1986 we have been caring for the work also in Guinea-Bissau, where Portuguese is spoken.”
Aware that more than 90 percent of the population here are non-Christians, I asked what progress has been made. “It’s true that many people in these lands are not familiar with the Bible,” my guide said, “but the work is moving along steadily. In January 1991 we were pleased to see 596 Kingdom publishers. That shows that the local brothers and the missionaries have been working very hard.”
“I understand there are many missionaries serving here,” I observed.
“Yes, we have about 60 assigned to the various territories we care for, and they came from 13 countries. They work hard and have contributed greatly to getting the work on a good footing. This spirit is reflected by the local brothers in their love and zeal for the truth. Despite facing problems such as unemployment and very limited material means, many brothers spend 15 hours and more in the field ministry every month. We hope you will meet some of these zealous workers on your visit.”
I looked forward to doing so.
In the Field With Missionaries
Margaret (who had been in missionary service for more than 20 years before her recent death) volunteered to take me along with her to her territory in the center of the city. We took a car rapide (rapid car) to get a taste of local life. It was, in fact, a small bus that made frequent stops. It carried 25 passengers, and if all of them were slim, I could see how the trip could almost be comfortable. The two ladies sharing my bench were definitely not slim, but I accepted the situation with a smile.
“In my downtown territory, you can see many interesting things,” explained Margaret when we got to our destination. “See those colorful sandals?” she asked, pointing to some stalls along the sidewalk. “They are made with dyed skins of sheep and goats.” We approached the sandal makers, and Margaret started her presentation to them in their language, Wolof. They listened intently and were fascinated by the illustrations of Adam and Eve in the colorful brochure.
In no time we were approached by hawkers, known here as bana-bana men, offering an endless variety of items. Some had brooms; others presented clothes, locks, medicine, purses, oranges, and even live birds. One wanted to sell me a kora, a stringed instrument made from half a calabash, or gourd, with a stick for a neck; it is played with both hands. I noticed that on its back was a small image of a mask fashioned from leather, goat horn, and small “good luck” shells. We explained that we would not buy anything adorned with signs that might have to do with sorcery or unchristian rites. To our surprise, the bana-bana man agreed, indicating that he was a Muslim himself. He hid the kora behind his long flowing garb, or boubou, and listened carefully as Margaret presented the brochure, which was in Arabic. He was so enthused that he took the brochure and began reading it right there. After thanking us profusely, he left with the brochure and the unsold kora. We felt sure he would study the brochure at home.
Later, I talked to John, who had also been a missionary for over 20 years.
“People here are very friendly, and you can talk to almost everyone you meet,” John told me. “The popular greeting ‘assalam alaikum’ means ‘peace be with you,’ and most people are peaceable. This is the land of teranga, or hospitality, and it is expressed by kindness, human warmth, and gaiety.” It was becoming easier for me to see why so many young foreign Witnesses could leave their families and friends to serve in this missionary field.
Freed to Pursue Full-Time Ministry
The missionary spirit has a profound influence on the local Witnesses. This is especially evident because widespread unemployment makes taking up the full-time pioneer service a real challenge. Marcel and Lucien, who were freed from many harmful habits by learning Bible truth, explained:
“We wanted to show our appreciation by taking up the pioneer service. But part-time work was hard to find. We tried gardening, but it didn’t work out. Laundering clothes took up too much of our time. Now we are in the baking business, with certain stores as our regular customers, and this is working out well.” Clearly it took them a great deal of faith and ingenuity, along with sincere effort, but this proves it is possible to enter the full-time service even when economic conditions are difficult.
When Jehovah’s Witnesses started to study the Bible with Michel, he was attending a university in Dakar. “I was depressed by the immoral spirit of so many of the students, and perplexing questions haunted me,” he related. “Why was man enslaved to such harmful practices and conditions? The Bible gave me the answers. It was as if a heavy weight were lifted off my shoulders. Although my parents insisted that I continue my studies, I engaged in the auxiliary pioneer service and then served as a regular pioneer for the remainder of the time I had to be in the university. I find sharing the good news with others as a pioneer, not the seeking of a career in a system that will soon go out of business, brings me the greatest joy.” Michel is now serving as a special pioneer in Mbour.
Polygamy Versus Christian Monogamy
Local customs are not always in agreement with Christian principles, and this can present unique challenges. Alioune, the presiding overseer in one of the six congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses in greater Dakar, related: “When I first heard the liberating truth, I had two wives. As a practicing Muslim, I was permitted by my religion to have even more. My father had four, and most of my friends had several. It is the accepted way here in Africa.” But what was the effect of this way of life?
“Having more than one wife can cause many problems,” Alioune explained, “especially as far as the children are concerned. I have ten children by my first wife and two by my second. In such families, the father is often a stranger to his children, so they do not benefit from his help and discipline. Incidentally, polygamy did not protect me from adultery either. Rather, it is self-control, a fruit of God’s spirit, that has done that.” So, what did Alioune do?
“I had my second wife return to her parents’ home,” he continued, “and tactfully explained that it was not that I had found anything displeasing with her, but it was to conform to God’s requirements. I made special arrangements to care for all my children materially and spiritually, and I am thankful that today they too are serving Jehovah. Of the nine that are publishers, five are baptized, two serve as special pioneers, and the other three as regular and auxiliary pioneers. The truth has really set me free from many of the problems associated with raising children.”
Fetish Worship Versus True Worship
Next on my itinerary was a visit to the Casamance region in the south. I was impressed by how fresh and green everything appeared. Well watered by the mighty Casamance River for some 180 miles [300 km], the area produces abundant rice, maize, and peanuts. Scattered through the countryside are circular, two-story huts, with thatched roofs in the form of a funnel to collect rainwater for the dry season. The capital, Ziguinchor, is built in the shelter of a vast palm grove. I was happy to meet a zealous congregation of Jehovah’s people here.
Dominic, a missionary working in and around Ziguinchor, told me that the preaching work in this area is moving along very nicely. “Just ten years ago,” he said, “there were 18 publishers in the Ziguinchor Congregation. Now there are 80. To care for this great increase, we have built a beautiful new Kingdom Hall, using red clay found right at the hall site. The project proved to be a great witness to the community. Favorable remarks were made by those who saw people from so many different tribes working together peacefully. At a recent circuit assembly, the peak attendance was 206, with 4 persons being baptized.”
Many people in this part of Senegal still follow the animistic beliefs of their ancestors, worshiping fetishes even though professing to be Christians or Muslims. I listened intently to the story related by Victor, an elder in the Ziguinchor Congregation.
“I was born into a large fetish-worshiping family in Guinea. At my birth, my father dedicated me to a certain spirit, or demon. To win its favor, I would regularly take a black suitcase from under the bed, set up a small altar, and offer blood sacrifices to the horn that represented my demon protector. Even after I became a Catholic, I still felt enslaved. After I moved to Senegal, Jehovah’s Witnesses began studying the Bible with me. My wife and I learned that we could not continue ‘eating at the table of Jehovah and the table of demons.’ (1 Corinthians 10:21) But when I stopped offering sacrifices, the demons began to attack us. I was afraid to throw out the black suitcase with all its demonic objects because I knew of a man who had completely lost his mind when he did that.” What a desperate situation Victor was in!
“Finally the words of Romans 8:31, 38, 39 gave us the needed strength to get rid of everything related to fetish worship. Now that we have placed our confidence in Jehovah, we have truly been liberated. My entire household has the wonderful hope of everlasting life in an earthly paradise, where all mankind will be free of the influence of wicked demons.”
At last, it was time for me to leave. As I packed my bags, I reflected on my unforgettable visit to Senegal. How faith-strengthening it had been for me to meet and talk to so many people who have been freed from bondage to drug abuse, immorality, and superstition and who now enjoy true liberty. In spite of difficult economic conditions, they are finding joy and contentment in serving Jehovah, who brought them the sure hope of everlasting life in a paradise earth. How thankful we are to him who has made it possible to have such good news proclaimed not only in Senegal but also worldwide during “the year of goodwill on the part of Jehovah”! (Isaiah 61:1, 2)—Contributed.
[Map on page 8]
(For fully formatted text, see publication)
SENEGAL
St. Louis
Louga
Thiès
Dakar
Kaolack
GAMBIA
Banjul
[Pictures on page 9]
The liberating waters of truth are shared freely in the villages
Missionary home and branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Dakar, Senegal
[Picture on page 10]
Along the coast, too, people of Senegal hear the Christian message