Ngabe, Guaymi in Panama
Photo Source:
Todd Szalkowski
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Map Source:
Anonymous
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| People Name: | Ngabe, Guaymi |
| Country: | Panama |
| 10/40 Window: | No |
| Population: | 321,000 |
| World Population: | 325,100 |
| Primary Language: | Ngabere |
| Primary Religion: | Christianity |
| Christian Adherents: | 92.00 % |
| Evangelicals: | 4.00 % |
| Scripture: | New Testament |
| Ministry Resources: | Yes |
| Jesus Film: | Yes |
| Audio Recordings: | Yes |
| People Cluster: | South American Indigenous |
| Affinity Bloc: | Latin-Caribbean Americans |
| Progress Level: |
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Introduction / History
Ngabes are Panama’s largest indigenous group, with a resilient lifestyle shaped by centuries of adaptation and resistance to hostile outsiders.They live in the Comarca Ngabe-Bugle, a semi-autonomous region established in 1997 across the provinces of Chiriquí, Veraguas, and Bocas del Toro.
What Are Their Lives Like?
Subsistence farming is the backbone of the Ngabe economy. They grow beans, rice, corn, yucca, and bananas. Most families raise chickens and pigs for their meat supply. Some Ngabe village men fish or dive for goods to sell. Men usually work on coffee plantations in Costa Rica. Women contribute to the family income by making and selling woven handicrafts like baskets and handbags. They also make jewelry. These not only earn them money, but they also display their culture.Music and dance are central to Ngabe festivals. They play marimbas and sing songs that convey ancestral stories.Multiple generations live under one roof, sharing responsibilities and resources. Decision-making is based on respect for elders and consensus. Women play a central role in Ngabe society, especially regarding rituals.
What Are Their Beliefs?
Though there are pre-Colombian practices, the Ngabes are Christian, usually Roman Catholic. There is also a small Evangelical presence.
What Are Their Needs?
About 90 % are in poverty. They struggle with the ecological fallout from a nearby hydroelectric dam and mining projects, which diminish their fish supply. Politically, the Ngabes are marginalized, leaving them bypassed by others. They lack adequate medical care and schools.
Prayer Points
Pray for their medical and educational needs to be met in abundance.Pray for the Holy Spirit to send a mighty revival to Ngabe homes and churches.Pray for Ngabe Christians to be filled with the fruit and the power of the Holy Spirit.Pray for Ngabe Christians to excel in love, joy, and peace as they take Christ to others.Pray for them to have patience and kindness as they minister the gospel.