APT works in the most northerly part of Burkina Faso - the province of Oudalan. This is the heart of the Burkina Faso Sahel - the zone of hot, scrubby land that borders the desert. The word "sahel" means "shore", referring to the "shore of the desert".
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso varies from the tropical green of rain forest in the south to the dryness of the northern Sahel. The country's name means "land of upright men". Although one of the poorest countries in the world, with over 60 different people groups and languages, it is rich in its human culture.
At 274,200 sq km, Burkina is slightly larger than the UK, with a population of about 13 millionpeople. It has a secular government, with freedom of religion, a free press, and a multi-party electoral system. The religious breakdown is roughly: Muslim: 50%, Catholic: 15%, Protestant: 5%, Traditional African Religions: 30%., . Islam is particularly strong in the north. There is strong church growth among the Mossi and other settled tribes in the south.
Oudalan Province
The north of the country is drier, less developed, and more Muslim than the south, with a different mix of ethnic groups:
Geography. The province is typically sahelian, with low rainfall, about 300mm/yr. The landscape for most of the year is dry, generally covered in sparse acacia trees and the occasional baobab. It has traditionally been pasture land for the nomadic Fulani and their cattle. As other peoples have moved into the area, increasingly marginal land is being used to farm millet and sorghum. The increasing population pressure on the land results in the erosion of fertile land and the advance of the desert. The first sand dunes are found here, and in June, as the rainy season is approaching, occasional sand storms roll across the landscape, blocking out the sun.
People. The province is inhabited primarily by the Fulani, but there are also many Tamacheq and Songhai. The southern edge of the sahel borders the "Mossi plateau", and some Mossi and other peoples from the south work in the province, mostly in commerce or government services, such as teaching, health, or police.
Religion. All the local peoples are predominantly Islamic, and the zone is over 99% Muslim. These people have a strong sense of Islamic identity and worldview, even though some pre-islamic practises continue, adopted by many into their Islamic faith. Compared with the south, where there are many churches, the Burkina Faso sahel has only a few churches. But there is now a small number of local Christians, mostly Fulani and Songhai, who are increasingly mature. A small, but increasing number of pastors and Christians from the south are also working in the region with vision and commitment.
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso varies from the tropical green of rain forest in the south to the dryness of the northern Sahel. The country's name means "land of upright men". Although one of the poorest countries in the world, with over 60 different people groups and languages, it is rich in its human culture. 
