Get to know the Yao people in 4 parts - learn, see, act, pray!

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1 - Learn

The Yao people live in East and Central Africa, around Lake Malawi in countries like Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. They are part of the Bantu-speaking group, which is a large group of people with similar languages and cultures.

The Yao kingdoms started in the 15th century. They first became powerful through trade, exchanging slaves and ivory for clothes and guns. Later, they grew stronger through fighting and war.

Today, most Yao people are farmers. They grow crops like corn (maize), sorghum, vegetables, and tobacco. They don't have many animals, but they rely on fishing for food.

Yao society doesn’t have one big government or leader. Instead, they live in small villages of about 75 to 100 people, each led by a traditional headman. When a man marries, he moves to live with his wife’s family, so the villages are mostly made up of women who are related through their mothers, along with their husbands.

The Yao people are mostly Muslim today, but their version of Islam is mixed with their old beliefs. This happened because of their trade with Arabs and their experiences with Christian Europeans who tried to control their land.

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2 - See

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3 - Act

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4 - Pray

• Pray for Jesus to be made known in their communities, that His love can shine through a dark past.
• Pray for more livestock, that they can sustain themselves fully with food for their families.
• Pray for the headman of the community, asking that he be guided by the Holy Spirit to lead with wisdom and to share God’s word among the families.

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