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People group profile · PG011656

The Yemsa, Yemma of Ethiopia

The Yemsa, Yemma of Ethiopia, numbering about 263,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Ethiopia.

They are an indigenous people in the Omotic people cluster of the Horn of Africa Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Yemsa.

Pray for the Yemsa, YemmaPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Ethiopia
Population
263,000
Affinity group
Northern African and Middle Eastern Peoples
People cluster
Omotic
Primary language
Yemsa (jnj)
Primary religion
Ethnoreligion
Strategic Progress Index ?
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC ?
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority ?
Expanding Unreached People Group
Region
Eastern Africa, Africa
Location
Oromia region: Fofa (main village); mixed in Oromo villages Deedoo, Jimma, Saja, and Sak’a; Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ region: Yem zone

Where they live

Gospel status

The Yemsa, Yemma 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 Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Yemsa, Yemma

  • 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

Ethnoreligion

Primary language

Yemsa · Ta-Ne-Omotic family

60% speak Yemsa

Gospel resources in Yemsa

  • Bible available, published 2019
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

Bibles

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

Pray for the Yemsa, Yemma

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

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