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.

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
- Magdalena (Tacawit)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Shawiya
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
Amazigh, Shawiya in other countries
The same people (ROP3 108925) is reported in 4 other countries.
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