Photo : Ben praying with Yawo friends .
ZAMBIA
Country Spotlight :
Mozambique
Getting to Know the Yawo
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In Mozambique , there are 429,860 Yawo people . Another 3 million Yawo live in Malawi and Tanzania .
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The majority of Yawo live in rural areas and are mainly subsistence farmers . Although there are increasing numbers relocating to urban centres .
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Most Yawo would agree that to be Yawo is to be Muslim .
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A well known Yawo saying is , “ Alone you cannot scrub your back .” This speaks to the importance of community and reciprocal care of one another .
Sharing the Gospel
The Yawo are a communally orientated people , generally living in large family groups , with multiple family groups constituting a village . This is the foundation of Yawo life and society . However , in recent times , there has been an influx of Yawo people , moving from their rural villages , into the city of Lichinga for work and education opportunities .
The mix of urban and rural settings provides unique challenges to Gospel sharing . In rural areas opportunities to encounter the good news of Jesus are limited . There are not many opportunities to interact with others outside of familial groups . In Urban centres the challenge is different . While there is more exposure to the Gospel , it is often clothed in cultural attire that make it difficult for the Yawo to see how they can become a follower of Jesus without leaving behind their own culture and adopting another one .
Fortunately , when Yawo people meaningfully encounter the good news of Jesus they begin to see the world in new ways , and because of their communal orientation , so do their wider families .
RESONATE ISSUE 38 | PAGE 13