Sobonfu Somé


Sobonfu Somé was a Burkinabe teacher and writer, specializing in topics of spirituality. She wrote three books: her first, The Spirit of Intimacy, looks at relationships and intimacy through the lens of African spirituality and teachings.
She founded the organization Wisdom Spring to teach African spirituality to westerners and to provide drinking water to villages in West Africa.

Naming

Sobonfu Somé wrote about African culture, with a focus on her and her husband's interpretations of Dagara spiritual traditions for use by Westerners. One story she relayed was that, in a naming ceremony, her mother had been placed in a trance-like state in which she and the elders of the community divined Sobonfu's life purpose. She said the elders then gave her, the unborn child, the name Sobonfu, meaning "Keeper of Ritual", based upon this experience.

Marriage

Sobonfu was married to Malidoma Patrice Somé in an arranged marriage. The couple moved to London, and later the United States.

Death

Somé died from a weakened immune system attributed to water contamination.

Works