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People group profile · PG047734

The Deaf Rwandans of Rwanda

The Deaf Rwandans of Rwanda, numbering about 72,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a community of individuals who are culturally Deaf and actively participate in Deaf culture, often using sign language as their primary means of communication.

They are an indigenous people in the Deaf people cluster of the Deaf Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Rwandan Sign Language.

Pray for the Deaf RwandansPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Deaf Rwandans people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite: Deaf Rwandan

Fast facts

Country
Rwanda
Population
72,000
Affinity group
Deaf Peoples
People cluster
Deaf
Primary language
Rwandan Sign Language (rsn)
Primary religion
Ethnoreligion
Strategic Progress Index
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, Concentrated CP Activity
Lostness priority
Pioneer Unreached People Group
Region
Eastern Africa, Africa
Location
Scattered

Where they live

Gospel status

The Deaf Rwandans 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 but there has been initial or concentrated church planting among them within the past two years.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years Concentrated Church Planting

Next steps for the Deaf Rwandans

  • 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

Rwandan Sign Language · Sign language family

60% speak Rwandan Sign Language

Gospel resources in Rwandan Sign Language

  • 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 Deaf Rwandans

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

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