Nomadic populations in the Horn of Africa have little access to education or to hearing and reading the gospel. Illiteracy is very high, and access to Christian resources is limited.
But a travelling ministry is addressing these challenges by delivering school materials and Bibles via camel caravans, training local believers to serve as teachers and engaging families through their children’s learning journey.
Each camel library visits a specific nomadic community (often relatives) about three times a year. This is often when nomads come close to a village during the time when camels have plenty to eat. They often remain in their camp near the village for up to six weeks each time. That is when their assigned camel library visits four times a week. When the nomads return to the bush in search of food for their camels, each camel library is assigned to a different semi nomadic community in distant villages.
This is Ayaan’s story of meeting the camel ministry:
My name is Ayaan. I am a 12-year-old girl, and most days I wake up before the sun, when the air is still cool and quiet. My mother gently shakes me, and I hear the soft bells of the two camels that always stay outside. One camel is used as a beast of burden, and the other for milk. The rest of the camels roam far away. That is how our morning begins. We are always moving. My father says we follow life, where there is grass, there is hope. Our home is a small collapsible hut we built and take down again. I have two younger brothers. The smallest one still cries when I leave with the goats. I am a goat herder. I did not choose it; it is simply what I am.
Some days feel very long. The sun blazes, and the land seems to stretch forever. I talk to the goats sometimes, just to hear a voice. I used to wonder what it would be like to go to school, like the children we sometimes hear about, but that felt like a story from another world. Then one afternoon, everything changed. We saw a camel coming, but it was different. It carried boxes. The two people with it smiled a lot and spoke kindly. They called us closer. I felt shy, but also curious.
They opened the boxes, and inside were books. I had never touched a book before. My hands felt dusty, and I was afraid to hold them. But they showed me gently. ‘Start here,’ they said, pointing to the letters. At first, the marks meant nothing. Then slowly, they became sounds… and then words. I remember the first time I read my name, Ayaan. I could not stop smiling. My name means ‘lucky.’ I am so lucky.
They also shared stories about God who sees us, even here in the dry places. A God who loves, forgives, and brings peace. I kept thinking about those stories long after they left. Now, when I walk with the animals, I write letters in the sand. I teach my little brother in the evenings. Sometimes, I close my eyes and imagine a future where I can read many books and maybe, one day, share them with other children like me.
The land hasn’t changed, but I have. The camel library visits us often, and we are grateful.
Pray for protection for these mobile herders as they minister in harsh and dangerous environments.
Pray for opportunities for the Camel Library teachers to teach children and adults how to read and live in their communities and reflect the love of Jesus.
Pray for the funding needed to send out more camel herders and camel libraries this next year.
