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People group profile · PG012778

The Sharwa of Cameroon

The Sharwa of Cameroon, numbering about 10,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Cameroon, Far North province: Mayo-Tsanaga Division, South Bourrah Subdivision; a few in North province: Mayo-Louti Division.

They are an indigenous people in the Chadic people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Islam, and they primarily speak Sarua.

Pray for the SharwaPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Cameroon
Population
10,500
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Chadic
Primary language
Sarua (swy)
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
Middle Africa, Africa
Location
Far North region: Mayo-Tsanaga division, south Bourrah subdivision; North region: Mayo-Louti division

Where they live

Gospel status

The Sharwa 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 Sharwa

  • 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

99% adherents

Primary language

Sarua · Afro-Asiatic family

55% speak Sarua

Gospel resources in Sarua

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

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

Pray for the Sharwa

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

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