Project Profile

Mbeya NT Cluster | Sangu

This language group is participating in the Mbeya NT Cluster project.

About 75,000 Sangu people live in widely scattered villages and family groups on a vast plain in western Tanzania. For eight months of the year, the land is extremely dry, and some people need to travel up to seven miles to access water. During the rainy season, flooding is common. Traditionally, the Sangu tended livestock on the plains, living as a proud and independent people. In the late 1800s, Baluch people emigrated from Pakistan to the Sangu Plains, bringing their religion with them. After Tanzania’s independence in 1961, government policies abolished traditional Sangu leadership systems and allowed other people to move onto Sangu land. Today, some of the Sangu continue to raise livestock and others farm rice in small paddies, a skill learned from the Chinese.

Sangu church leaders organized a translation and literacy team to attend workshops offered by SIL in Mbeya, Tanzania. Though the churches have very little to give, they are eager to draw their people to Jesus, and they see Bible translation as an important way to do that. The team has laid a foundation for translation with careful linguistic work. They developed a new way of writing their language and have been compiling a dictionary and studying how their language functions. Some team members are teaching Sangu people to read so they will benefit from the new translation. The team began by drafting Jonah, Ruth and Mark, and their progress continues from there.

News from the Field
  • Apr06

    Mbeya of Tanzania

    There are 10 languages in the Mbeya cluster, living in the mountains and plains of southeastern Africa: Bena, Bungu, Malila, Ndali, Nyakyusa-Ngonde, Nyiha, Safwa, Sangu, Wanji, and Kinga. Praise the Lord that the project is fully partnered. In 2003, several church leaders formed a council to initiate Bible translation projects for their people. Forty leaders representing 10 languages and nine Christian denominations have committed to the project.

    Continue Reading

  • Sep24

    Mbeya Cluster of Tanzania

    The Mbeya cluster touches over 3 million speakers of 10 languages that live in the mountains and plains of southeastern Africa. In 2003, several church leaders formed a council to initiate Bible translation projects for their people. Forty leaders representing 10 languages and nine Christian denominations have committed to the project.

    Continue Reading

Found in: