According to Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley, one particular group—the widows of Christians killed in the terrorist attacks—may be the hardest hit. 

“Christians make up about 20% of the population of Burkina Faso, with many having converted from Muslim families of origin,” says Representative Foley. “When terrorists kill the Christian men and chase their families from the villages, the Christian widows who come from Muslim backgrounds face a difficult challenge: If they go back to their birth families, they are pressured to marry Muslims and return to Islam. But if they don’t go back to their birth families, where else can they go?” 

The case of Anna (name changed for security reasons) is typical. Anna lived in northern Burkina Faso with her husband, who was a tailor and the president of youth ministry for his denomination. Both came from Muslim backgrounds but converted to Christianity. In Anna’s case, this led to communication with her father being cut off. 

In 2016 the couple had a son. Then on October 6, 2019, as Anna’s family and the fellow members of Anna’s congregation were leaving church after Sunday worship, a group of terrorists came on 20 motorbikes.  

“Anna said the terrorists surrounded the church and told everyone to sit on the ground. Then the terrorists entered the church and set fire to the pulpit,” says Representative Foley. “They told the men to stand behind the church and the women and children to stay in front of the church. Anna heard gunshots. Six people were killed: the pastor and his son, her husband, two of her husband’s uncles, and a teacher.”  

The group told all the church members to leave the village or they would come back again and kill everyone, including women and children.  

“At that time Anna was nine months pregnant with their second child,” says Representative Foley. “She had to flee to a village where her husband had family members, where she gave birth to their daughter 9 days later. However, her husband’s family blamed his death on Anna and her husband leaving Islam. They tried to pressure her into marrying another family member, in accordance with Islamic tradition, and in so doing to become a Muslim, but she refused and fled to the capital.” 

Anna told Voice of the Martyrs that her husband’s mother invited her to come to her home, so Anna moved there. But the mother also tried to reconvert Anna to Islam and then threw her out when Anna refused.  

“As Anna left her mother-in-law’s home, she heard the sound of Christians praying and followed the sound to a church,” says Representative Foley. “She explained her situation to the pastor, and he found a small one-room place for her to rent.” 

Representative Foley says that in summer 2023, Voice of the Martyrs Korea’s sister mission in Poland learned about Anna’s case, along with those of nine other Christian widows in similar situations. The Voice of the Martyrs organizations partnered together with the widows’ churches in an aid project designed to provide emergency financial assistance along with materials and equipment to help the widows provide for themselves and their families and become financially self-sufficient. 

“Christian widows in Burkina Faso face unique difficulties,” says Representative Foley. “Culturally, an adult male must act as the head of the family, standing and speaking for his family. So widows have to rely on people of good will to publicly represent them and help them in a wide range of everyday situations. Being a Christian, often persecuted by the husband’s family and unable to receive help from them unless they reconvert to Islam, makes things even harder for these widows. Anna’s husband’s family continues to search for her, in order to bring her back to Islam and marry again in her husband’s family. Helping these widows to become self-sufficient gives them a way to support their families now and in the future so that they can remain in the church and not be forced to return to Islam.”  

In Anna’s case, the Voice of the Martyrs organizations provided food and rent assistance to Anna, along with financial support to start sending Anna’s son, now 7 years old, to school.  

“Anna knows how to weave traditional clothes,” says Representative Foley. “Through this Voice of the Martyrs partnership, Anna received the funds to buy equipment to enable her to work and provide for herself and her children.” 

Anna told Voice of the Martyrs that she likes to read the Psalms because she says David also went through difficult times. “I am displaced and life was so hard for me,” Anna says. “But God used his people, brothers and sisters, to take care of us. Being honest, I cannot find words to express my joy. Because thanks to our friends we do not even know, we received a lot of help. We have received money for the house, food, like corn, rice, oil, sugar and pasta. I received the funds, and together with Pastor I am going to buy the necessary things that I was missing in order to work. Through this help, I can see the righteous God.”  

Representative Foley says that the Voice of the Martyrs organizations are continuing the Burkina Faso Aid for Christian Widows project in 2025.  Individuals interested in supporting the project can visit www.vomkorea.com/en/donate or give via electronic transfer to: 

KB Bank: 463501-01-243303 

Account Holder: (사)순교자의소리 

Please note “Burkina Faso” on the transfer.