BURKINA FASO | AUG. 14, 2024 — Christian Widow Rejected by Daughters
BURKINA FASO — Christian Widow Rejected by Daughters
Burkinabe widows who convert to Christianity often struggle to survive.
Ratama’s husband died in 1984 when she was 32 years old and had three young daughters to raise.
Born a Muslim, Ratama gave her life to the Lord in 2009. By then, all three of her daughters had married Muslims, and they demanded Ratama return to Islam. When she refused, the daughters cut off all support. Now 72 years old, Ratama should be receiving her late husband’s pension, but her in-laws were also angered when she became a Christian and took steps to keep her from receiving any funds. Without income, Ratama has resorted to collecting and reselling plastic bags as her only means of support. She lives alone in a small mud-brick house that partially dissolves every rainy season. When the rains come, usually in June and July, Ratama worries that her little house will collapse. She is one of thousands of Burkinabe widows who have turned to Christ and have been rejected by their families.