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People group profile · PG000070

The Shawiya of Belgium

The Shawiya of Belgium, numbering about 42,500 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a Berber ethnolinguistic group indigenous to the Aurès Plateau region of the Atlas Mountains of northeastern Algeria.

They are a diaspora people in the Amazigh-Shawiya people cluster of the Arab Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Tachawit.

Pray for the ShawiyaPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Shawiya people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2025). Image generated by Gemini 3 Flash: Shawiya

Fast facts

Country
Belgium
Population
42,500
Affinity group
Northern African and Middle Eastern Peoples
People cluster
Amazigh-Shawiya
Primary language
Tachawit (shy)
Primary religion
Sunni Islam
Strategic Progress Index
Unengaged and Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
Western Europe, Europe

Where they live

Gospel status

The Shawiya are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.

  • Congregations exist No
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Shawiya

  • Pray that God would send workers to this people group
  • Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
  • Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice

Primary religion

Sunni Islam · Islam

99% adherents

Primary language

Tachawit · Afro-Asiatic family

100% speak Tachawit

Gospel resources in Tachawit

  • Bible available
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Shawiya

  1. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
  2. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
  3. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
  4. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.

Download a prayer guide

Amazigh, Shawiya in other countries

The same people (ROP3 108925) is reported in 4 other countries.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
ShawiyaAlgeria2,520,000Engaged yet Unreached
ShawiyaFrance196,000Unengaged and Unreached
ShawiyaTunisia53,000Unengaged and Unreached
ShawiyaItaly39,000Unengaged and Unreached

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