The Magu people are a group living in Nigeria. They speak a special language called Mvanip (pronounced MVA-nip), which has been around for a very long time. This language is part of a big language family called Niger-Congo.The Magu people live in a place called Zongo Ajiya, which is in the Sardauna area of Taraba State, Nigeria. They are close to the beautiful Mambilla Plateau and near the border of Cameroon.
The Magu people are very busy! Most of them are farmers, growing foods like maize, rice, sorghum, millet, and cassava. They also grow coffee, tea, peanuts, cotton, and yams to sell. Besides farming, they take care of animals like cows, sheep, goats, rabbits, and pigs.But that’s not all! Many Magu people are also artists and crafters. They make pottery, weave cloth, dye fabrics, create mats, carve wood, do embroidery, and even work as blacksmiths. Some of them work at a hydroelectric plant or in the tourist industry on the beautiful Mambilla Plateau.
The Magu people have a variety of beliefs. Less than half of them are Christians, while many others follow traditional religions. They believe in animism, which means they think that animals, plants, and even non-living things like rocks and rivers have spirits.
Even though everyone in the Magu community speaks Mvanip, it’s not taught in schools. They need help to study how many languages they speak and in what situations they use Mvanip, English, Hausa, and other nearby languages. The community leaders may be interested in learning how to keep their language alive and strong. Workshops and training sessions can help them with this.
Pray that a survey can be conducted to assess the strength of the Mvanip language and help leaders determine whether to focus on preserving it.Pray that Mvanip speakers will read and be able to understand the Bible in other languages and figure out if they need it translated into Mvanip.
Scripture Prayers for the Magu in Nigeria.
SIL
| Profile Source: Joshua Project |
