Day 22: Makonde of Mozambique and Tanzania

photo of woman by Ton Rulkens, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
  • POPULATION: 583,000 in Mozambique; 2,000,000 in Tanzania
  • LANGUAGE: Makonde
  • RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND: Islam
  • PROGRESS: 5% Christian (0.5% Evangelical) in Mozambique; 9% Christian (6% Evangelical in Tanzania)
  • BIBLE TRANSLATION: New Testament

The Makonde make a living by growing maize, sorghum and cassava and by fishing. Although they outwardly practice Islam, they hold to animistic beliefs. They venerate their ancestors and are known for their wood carvings of their family trees.

Prayer Request:

Pray that God would strengthen Makonde believers and that discipleship movements in this group would grow.

Learn more: For more information, click on the Joshua Project profile.

map showing location of Makonde people in Mozambique and Tanzania