Before the civil war in 2012, the Peulh were Muslim nomads who gathered in clans with hundreds of cows to sustain their livelihood. They lived in grass huts, had plenty of milk to live on, and generated an income by selling the milk. They could even sell cows whenever they needed additional cash. Even though they lived simple lives, they were actually quite wealthy and had everything they needed.

When civil war broke out in Central Africa in 2012, the Peulh (who are Muslim) sided with the Muslim rebels who fought against the authorities. They won the war and installed the country’s first Muslim president, which provided the Peulh with the perfect setup to continue thriving. Unfortunately for the Peulh, the Muslim president only remained in office for nine short months, which shattered their favorable setup. With the Muslim president gone, the population sought revenge on the Muslims, so they rose up, stripped the Peulh of their livestock, and drove them out. 

Nearly a decade has passed since the war, but today the Peulh are still struggling. Society still generally doesn’t like them, so the Peulh live away from society either in refugee camps or out in the bush. 

The Peulh people went from being wealthy and well-fed to being impoverished outcasts. 

They need hope, but sharing Jesus with this people group can be slow and challenging work. Though they live in areas that are considered “reached,” the Peulh are unreached because they are so different from the rest of society. And since they are Muslims, the Peulh are usually pretty closed off to Christianity. We know of one Peulh woman who is heavily persecuted for following Jesus even though she’s a widow who lost her husband in the aftermath of the war. 

In an effort to bring hope to the downtrodden Peulh, Encompass partners with evangelists who focus on ministering to this people group. Despite the challenges, they travel to the Peulh, bring them supplies, and tell them the gospel using stories. Amazingly, they report that the Peulh have been more receptive to Jesus in recent years.

There are several mission agencies working with the Peulh people in Africa, but as far as we know, only a few evangelists are doing so in the Central African Republic. “Our prayer is that they’d find Christ, and that God would restore them and bless them,” says our former Africa Director, Frank. He continues, “The Peulh are suffering, so our partner evangelists don’t feel right about going to them with empty hands.”

Please pray for the Peulh people to find God, and please consider financially partnering with our team of evangelists who work with them.