However, many of the non-Muslim villages have failed to establish schools simply because the children are needed to stay home and help with the farming. For this reason, some village populations are entirely illiterate. Marriage is very important to the Bambara. The main purpose for marriage is to have children, which provide the family's labor force and ensure the future of the family lineage. The average Bambara woman has eight children.
All adults are married.
Even elderly widows in their 70's or 80's have suitors because the Bambara believe that a wife increases a man's prestige. The Bambara believe that the ancestral spirits may take on the forms of animals or even vegetables. In special ceremonies, the spirits are worshipped and presented with offerings of flour and water. Nine missions agencies are currently targeting the Bambara, and some progress has been made. Prayer is the key to tearing down the remaining strongholds that are keeping them from knowing the Truth.