I shall never forget my first visit to Kayor, a legendary Wolof fishing village located one hour north of Dakar, Senegal. The men were unloading the catch of the day from their long, narrow, brightly painted boats. The assortment of sea bass, capitan, dorade and flounder was an impressive sight! Waiting there on the beach was the fishermen’s imam to pronounce blessings on the catch.
I soon learned that these tall Wolofs account for one-third of Senegal’s population, yet the Wolof language is spoken by more than two-thirds of all Senegalese. The Wolof dominate national life and speak openly about being "the ones" who sold other Africans to the European slave traders.
To be Wolof is to be Muslim! Their religion is a source of both pride and entrenchment.
While these fishermen gladly took our money for their fish, they were and remain resistant to Christian influences. However, the New Testament and parts of the Old Testament are now in Wolof and Arabic script.
While a few Wolof have believed, the day will come when the "Great Fisherman" will break through the overall resistance. When that happens, the Wolof will lead the way once more...this time into faith.
Later Visit
The day began with a tour of St. Louis, Senegal, via horse-drawn cart. Our guide was skillful, weaving through traffic until we reached the beach. Offshore, a Russian freighter was waiting for small boats to receive its goods.
Lebou Wolof fishermen lined the beach as they offloaded the night’s catch and cleaned their nets. The 166,000 Lebou live in villages along the coast from Gambia to Mauritania.
One fisherman was in the process of preparing his catch for the market. The fish were cleaned, salted and placed on a wooden table to dry for four days, after which they would be sold across the entire country.
The harbor was filled with colorful Lebou boats, docked until nightfall when their owners began fishing again. Each boat costs between $2,000 and $3,000 and is launched with a special naming ceremony comparable to the naming of a child.
The Lebou Wolof are Islamic, but perhaps 20 have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. May the Lord raise up messengers to be “fishers of men” among them.
Rural Village
The driver turned off the paved road and proceeded through peanut farms to a Wolof village. The buildings were constructed of cement blocks with zinc roofs, reflecting the farmers’ success. We passed an elementary school at the entrance, arriving finally at the chief’s yard near the center of the community.
The chief and one of his sons were seated in the shade of the house. They quickly shifted their attention to extending a welcome to our group. Metal chairs were placed under a large tree, and we were invited to be seated. The fellowship was excellent as we shared history about ourselves and the purpose of our visit.
The chief found it difficult to pronounce my name when introducing me to members of his family and the village elders who came to welcome us. He said, “I am going to give you a Wolof name.” He honored me with the name of an esteemed prophet, “Maan Musa,” which means “Grandpa Moses.”
The chief’s younger son offered to give us a tour of their families’ homes and farmland. We met a lot of people, took many pictures and marveled at this Islamic Wolof family’s receptivity of us Christians and the outside world.
In addition to the Lebou believers, an estimated 30 believers are counted among the urban and rural Wolof, making a total of 50 Christians in a people group numbering nearly 5 million. The Wolof need messengers with proven apostolic ministries to preach the good news of the Kingdom accompanied with signs and wonders.
Wolof Profile