The southern part of Madagascar is a very arid semidesert. It is in this desert-like region in the Southwest where about 250,000 people known as the Mahafale live. The Mahafale, whose name means those who put taboos on things, are a loose-knit group of people defined more by the area where they live than by shared experiences or one political structure. The Mahafale are subsistence farmers. They depend on kerosene for lighting and wood for cooking.
Rivers are the main source of water, but they often dry up in the frequent droughts.
Traditional tribal religion is very strong. They also believe that spirits, called kokolampo , can possess people. Pray for the Mahafale, that they can have access to health care and educational opportunities. Pray also that they will come to know the Christ who can lift the spiritual darkness, which surrounds many of them. To learn more about the Mahafale of Madagascar, see page 30 of the March issue of Missions Mosaic .