Kayes, Mali
Bethesda Clinic
Indielou Dougnon is an evangelist at heart, and he uses medicine as a way to plant seeds for the Gospel.
He comes by the title of evangelist naturally. Indielou’s grandfather was the first Christian evangelist in the region of northwest Mali.
Indielou began his medical ministry in 1999, and today the medical campus has an e-health center, dispensary, maternity ward, ultrasound, laboratory, pharmacy and ophthalmology department. The facility is fully operated by solar power.
Besides the medical facility, Indielou used his own personal funds to construct a Christian church as a gathering location and a place to hold conferences and training seminars. A Bible school under construction will help the Fulani people learn more about Christian faith and discipleship.
“What I really like as a member of the Luke Society is the unity in Christ,” Indielou said. “The 40 ministries represent a family and support each other and pray for each other.”
Indielou Dougnon
About the ministry:
Name: Bethesda Clinic
Location: Kayes, Mali
Director: Indielou Dougnon
Partnership: 2001-present
Staff: 13
PMT: Dr. David Mulder and Gallaudet Howard; Dr. Doug and Julie Van Hofwegen; Dr. Holly Van Hofwegen; Dean and Rev. Deb Mechler; Jason and Julie Tinklenberg.
Our mission:
“Our mission is to provide quality health care in the name of Jesus, sharing the love and compassion of Jesus Christ to the sick. Our mission is also Matthew 11:28: ‘Come to me all of you who are tired of carrying a heavy burden and I will give you rest.’”
Why I love being a director:
“I like to go to the people in the community, to share their pain and their joy with love and compassion, and to share the gospel and make them disciples of Jesus.”
About Mali:
Population: 20.1 million
Size: 1.2 million sq. km, or about twice the size of Texas
Capital: Bamako
Borders: Senegal and Mauritania to the west; Algeria to the northeast; Niger to the east; Guinea, Côte D’Ivoire and Burkina Faso to the south.
Religious groups: Muslim, 93.9%; Christian, 2.8%
Primary language: French
Literacy (age 15+): 35.5%
Physician density: 0.13 doctors per 1,000 people.
Population below international poverty line: 42.1%
Life expectancy: 62.0 years
Infant mortality rate: 62.3 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Major exports: Cotton, gold, livestock.
Climate: Subtropical to arid; hot and dry from February-June; rainy, humid and mild from June-November; cool and dry from November-February.
Terrain: Mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in the south; rugged hills in the northeast.
