People group profile · PG014298
The Vai of Sierra Leone
The Vai of Sierra Leone, numbering about 27,500 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a Mande people of the Liberia-Sierra Leone borderlands whose script, a syllabary invented in the 1820s by Momolu Duwalu Bukele, became one of Africa's few homegrown writing systems and inspired at least 27 later West African scripts.
They are an indigenous people in the Mande people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Islam, and they primarily speak Vai.
Fast facts
- Country
- Sierra Leone
- Population
- 27,500
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Mande
- Primary language
- Vai (vai)
- Primary religion
- Folk Islam
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- Unengaged and Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC ?
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority ?
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Western Africa, Africa
Where they live
Gospel status
The Vai are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. 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 Vai
- Pray that God would send workers to this people group
- Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
- Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice
Primary religion
Folk Islam · Islam
90% adherents
Primary language
Vai · Mande family
100% speak Vai
Gospel resources in Vai
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Vai)
Bibles
- 2002 Bible Society in Liberia · video, audio
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Vai
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
Vai in other countries
The same people is also reported in 1 other country.
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