Your impact in Africa

“Listen! Thousands of Christians are being killed across Africa. We are talking about it. Will you?” Those are the words of Pastor Michée in Burkina Faso, whose father was killed in an attack on his village. Open Doors came alongside him during a period of intense grieving and questioning, providing him with much needed trauma-counseling.

“I was very angry against God, against myself and all the people close to me. But my anger was gone,” says Michée. “I lacked forgiveness, I had revenge in mind. All that was gone. I had fear, and anytime I would hear a gunshot, I was stressed. Thanks to the training, all of that has changed. I have been renewed.”

Your generous support proves that you are listening. Your gifts and prayers show believers like Pastor Michée that the global Church stands with Christians facing persecution across sub-Saharan Africa.

And that support doesn’t just stop in Burkina Faso. We recently learned about three stories from believers in sub-Saharan Africa who have sacrificed much for their faith. But thanks to you, Open Doors has been able to come alongside them.

Joram* in Tanzania

Joram is an 18-year-old believer from Tanzania. He accepted Jesus in 2024 and became a member of a local church. After giving his life to Christ, he began learning more about the Bible and the importance of standing firm in his faith, even when faced with opposition.

“After I was saved, I came to know the truth of God, and I decided to stand against some of the traditions and customs practiced in the community where I live,” Joram shares.

That stance put him at odds with his community. In one instance, he refused to attend a traditional circumcision ceremony and instead went to church. In his community, circumcision is often used in traditional spiritual ceremonies as a rite of passage that all are expected to attend—beyond the spiritual element, these ceremonies can leave young boys severely injured and have even resulted in deaths.

Ater Joram refused to attend the ceremony, a group of men came to his church and accused the pastor of encouraging young men to abandon their local customs. When they could not find the pastor, the mob attacked members of the congregation instead.

“When they came to attack us, some of our fellow youths were beaten. I escaped unharmed, but an arrow was thrown at me,” one young witness recalls.

For Joram, the attack was just one element of the isolation and fear he faces. “I faced many challenges because of my faith ... I was denied my basic rights, such as education, and I was expelled from my home,” Joram explains.”

Joram sought refuge with his church and pastor, who was also facing ongoing threats from the community.

Open Doors was able to provide Joram and others in his congregation with persecution training, helping them to stay strong despite continued threats.

His pastor is thankful for the training, saying “I thank God for the visit that has reached our church today. I am encouraged and the visit is strengthening us through the difficult situations we are facing, showing us that we are not the first ones to go through such challenges.”

Joram agrees: “I thank God for the people who came to pray for us, encourage us and teach us how to stand firm in our faith,” Joram says.

Akpe* in Togo

Akpe is a 17-year-old girl living in Togo. While she was raised as a Christian, her father was eventually drawn astray by a group that mixed traditional African religions with a version of Christianity (a practice known as syncretism).

Akpe and her mother wanted to remain at their church—despite intense pressure from her father to leave and join his new congregation. The pressure was so intense that he eventually divorced Akpe’s mother, leaving her and her daughter without any financial support.

But Open Doors was able to come alongside Akpe and provide funds to help her continue her education.

“The money allowed me to pay for my school fees, buy food, buy clothes and pay for my school materials … without this money, I wouldn’t be able to go to school,” Akpe shares.

But the help Akpe received extended beyond the classroom. “The support from brothers and sisters in Christ allowed me to continue my studies,” she explains. “It gave me peace and enabled me to focus on my ministry at church, which involves singing in the youth choir. I continue my worship and my walk with the Lord in my daily experience.”

Akpe continues to hold on to the Lord, and her resolve to follow Him. She shares a favorite verse: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand (Isaiah 41:10).” Thanks to your support, Akpe remains confident that God is with her despite her earthly father rejecting her.

Rev. Markus in Nigeria

In Nigeria’s Plateau State, Christian farmers are often denied privileges given to other farmers in a Muslim-dominated part of the state. The government subsidizes vital farming supplies like fertilizers and insecticides—Christian farmers are often overlooked when those supplies are distributed.

Those subsidized items are then often resold at high prices to Christian farmers.

That leaves farmers in difficult positions, forced to pay high prices or struggle with their crops.

Thanks to you, Open Doors provided farming training and supplies for a group of 100 Christian farmers. The training covered new farming methods that could be applied by the group. After the training, each farmer was given a loan of two bags of fertilizer, herbicides and a knapsack for two farmers to share.

Rev. Markus was one of the beneficiaries of the training. “We are sidelined, we have been cheated, oppressed and seen as nothing, but you have considered these problems and brought support to us that will help us spiritually, build our faith and physical body. We thank God and thank you.”

That training and those supplies have begun to—literally—bear fruit.

“The fertilizer and herbicide have really helped our farms,” says Rev. Markus. “Since we started using these items, we have seen the blessings of God on our farms and from what we can see, our yield this year will be more than last year.”

But the trainings did more than just help provide livelihoods for the farmers. They provided a way to partner with the local church and remind them that they are not alone.

“We thank God and the ministry and ask God to bless you,” says Rev. Markus. “This has completely shown that Christians in other parts of the world are concerned about us.”

Your support matters

For Christians in sub-Saharan Africa (and around the world), your support provides real encouragement. Because of your generosity, Open Doors is able to partner with your brothers and sisters and meet them where they are.

Your support means more than just persecution training or farming supplies. It means that Christians in some of the hardest places to follow Jesus are reminded that they are heard and loved by their brothers and sisters.

If you want to make a difference, we encourage you to sign our Arise Africa petition. The church in sub-Saharan Africa has challenged us to provide one million voices that call for an end to violence and persecution.

Will you consider adding your signature to that petition?

*Names changed to protect identity