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People group profile · PG011565

The Chara of Ethiopia

The Chara of Ethiopia, numbering about 21,500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a small Omotic‑speaking Indigenous people of southwestern Ethiopia.

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 Chara.

Pray for the CharaPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Chara people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Chara

Fast facts

Country
Ethiopia
Population
21,500
Affinity group
Northern African and Middle Eastern Peoples
People cluster
Omotic
Primary language
Chara (cra)
Primary religion
Animism
Strategic Progress Index ?
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
10% or Greater but Less than 15%
GSEC ?
10% or Greater Evangelical
Lostness priority ?
Moderately Reached People Group
Region
Eastern Africa, Africa
Location
Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ region: south Omo zone, Omo river

Where they live

Gospel status

The Chara are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 10% evangelical.

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

Next steps for the Chara

  • Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
  • Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
  • Send out laborers from this people to the nations

Primary religion

Animism · Ethnoreligion

60% adherents

Primary language

Chara · Ta-Ne-Omotic family

100% speak Chara

Gospel resources in Chara

  • Bible not 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 Chara

  1. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
  2. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
  3. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
  4. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.

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