Introducing The Diarra Family, YWAM, Mali

Japhet, Alison, Abigail, Joel, and Hannah Diarra

Japhet and Alison Diarra were married in August 1997. Japhet is from Mali and Alison is from the UK. They met in 1994 when Japhet was working on a YWAM base in Togo and Alison was serving there for three months on short-term mission. They now both serve with YWAM in Koutiala, Mali. They have three children: Abigail (10), Joel (8) and Hannah (4). Mali is about 86% Muslim.

Japhet trained as an agricultural technician and vet, and Alison is a UK qualified solicitor. However, God has led them both to serve in areas that they would not have foreseen themselves!

Japhet is on the leadership team of the YWAM base in Koutiala and is the Director of the mission’s professional training centre, the Centre Gideon. The Centre currently trains women and men who have not had access to formal education through a three-year course in sewing and textiles. They plan to open sections in woodwork, metalwork, computing and car mechanics in the near future. Japhet is also in charge of construction and maintenance for the primary and secondary school that the mission runs, the Collège Samuel.

Alison has helped to set up an Association of Christian Lawyers in Mali, and currently serves as its Vice President. She is also the West Africa Coordinator and Prayer Coordinator for Africa for Advocates Africa (part of a network called Advocates International – which links Christian lawyer fellowships all over the world). She is also the administrator and book-keeper for the Centre Gideon and currently serves as Treasurer of YWAM Mali.

The children all attend the Collège Samuel (Abigail in Year 5, Joel in Year 4 and Hannah in the kindergarten). This is a Malian school and so they learn in French. Alison supplements their education with home schooling in English twice a week.