Introduction / History

Over 200 years ago, Arab traders took people from their homes in Mozambique and Malawi to become slaves in Somalia. This slavery persisted until the 1930s, but the Bantu remained severely oppressed, rejected by Somali society. The Somali Bantu refer to themselves as Bantu and have low status in Somalia. Most of them speak Af-Maay.The Somali civil war of the 1990s was used as an excuse to steal land and property from the Bantu. Many were raped, beaten, and killed during this time. Fleeing to Kenya, many Bantu found refuge in camps where a sizable number remain waiting to find a permanent home.

What Are Their Lives Like?

They are mostly farmers who eat their own produce.They mostly marry among themselves, and there are a few marriages between them and the Somalis.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Most of them are Muslims, but a small number became Catholics.

What Are Their Needs?

The Somali Bantu people need a permanent home where they can earn a living and provide their children with education.

Prayer Items

Pray for a strong movement of the Holy Spirit will bring entire Somali Bantu families into a rich experience of God's blessing.Pray for Somali Bantu to become and make disciples who will make even more disciples.Pray for the Holy Spirit to give the Somali Bantu teachable and understanding hearts.Pray that the Somali Bantu who know Christ will become wise in sowing the word of God among their families and friends.Pray for them to live out attractive and holy lives that will draw Muslims to the only Savior.

Scripture Prayers for the Amhara, Ethiopian in Somalia.

References

http://orvillejenkins.com/peoples/somalibantu.htmlhttp://howgenocidesend.ssrc.org/Besteman/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRrlEF7F1qchttp://www.hartfordinfo.org/issues/wsd/immigrants/somali_bantu.pdfhttp://cis.org/articles/2003/back1303.htmlhttps://ethnomed.org/culture/somali-bantu/somali-bantu-refugeeshttp://www.irinnews.org/report/31830/kenya-somalia-unhcr-preparing-move-somali-bantus-kakuma