People group profile · PG012371
The Bambara of Burkina Faso
The Bambara of Burkina Faso, numbering about 7,900 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Mandé-speaking people of Mali and neighboring West African countries who share a common language, cultural heritage, and historical identity rooted in the middle Niger River basin.
They are a diaspora people in the Malinke-Bambara people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Islam, and they primarily speak Bambara.
Fast facts
- Country
- Burkina Faso
- Population
- 7,900
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Malinke-Bambara
- Primary language
- Bambara (bam)
- Primary religion
- Folk Islam
- 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
- Western Africa, Africa
Where they live
Gospel status
The Bambara 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 Bambara
- 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
Folk Islam · Islam
95% adherents
Primary language
Bambara · Mande family
100% speak Bambara
Gospel resources in Bambara
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Bibles
- Alliance Biblique au Mali 1987 · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Bambara
- 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.
Bambara in other countries
The same people (ROP3 100925) is reported in 9 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bambara | Mali | 7,780,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Bambara | Cote d’Ivoire | 1,500,000 | No Longer Unreached |
| French-speaking West Africans | France | 133,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Bambara | Senegal | 102,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Bambara | Niger | 60,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Bambara | Mauritania | 27,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Bambara | Gambia | 26,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Bambara | Guinea | 6,200 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Bambara | United States | 5,700 | Engaged yet Unreached |
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