People group profile · PG011539
The Hamar of Ethiopia
The Hamar of Ethiopia, numbering about 76,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an Omotic-speaking agropastoral people of Ethiopia's Lower Omo Valley whose identity is rooted in cattle herding, mixed farming, clan-based social organization, and distinctive ceremonial and cultural traditions.
They are an indigenous people in the Omotic people cluster of the Horn of Africa Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Hamer-Banna.
Fast facts
- Country
- Ethiopia
- Population
- 76,500
- Affinity group
- Northern African and Middle Eastern Peoples
- People cluster
- Omotic
- Primary language
- Hamer-Banna (amf)
- Primary religion
- Animism
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- No Known Evangelicals
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Eastern Africa, Africa
- Location
- Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ region: South Omo zone, near Omo river; north of Lake Turkana, near Kenya and Sudan borders; Oromia region: Borena zone
Where they live
Gospel status
The Hamar are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. 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 Hamar
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Animism · Ethnoreligion
85% adherents
Primary language
Hamer-Banna · South Omotic family
100% speak Hamer-Banna
Gospel resources in Hamer-Banna
- Bible available, published 2014
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Bibles
- Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church / SIM, 2014 A.D. · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Hamar
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
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