The Lese are agriculturalists who have lived in the Ituri Forest of northeastern Congo for more than 400 years. They are believed to have been the first of the wave of Central Sudanic immigrants from the Nile valley. Traditionally they have raised plantains (their staple crop) in forest clearings, on a seven-year rotation. Now they have introduced other crops, such as rice, beans and peanuts. Traditionally, Lese homes are dome structures woven tightly with forest leaves. They have also adopted the mud and wattle structures that other Congolese groups construct.
The Lese have been resistant to change and are widely scattered in small villages and hamlets over a vast area of tropical rain forest. They have an economic relationship with the Efe (pygmies) who have lived in the surrounding forests for thousands of years following a hunting and gathering lifestyle. The Lese receive agricultural labor and forest products (game, nuts, housing material, and honey) from the Efe in exchange for produce.
Limited inroads by Christianity have been made in some areas. The Lese are still largely tied to their traditional religion, which is a mixture of witchcraft and spirit appeasement. Some Lese are becoming interested in schooling, but many remain unaffected by the country's struggling education system. A disappearing road infrastructure limits movement within most of their territory. Health services are very limited in this remote area and there is a high infant mortality rate (80%) among them. The trade languages, Swahili and Bangala, are both used in the Lese area. Many Lese, however, are still monolingual, and some are being assimilated by neighboring groups.
Scripture Prayers for the Lese in Congo, Democratic Republic of.
Profile Source: Anonymous |
People Name General | Lese |
People Name in Country | Lese |
Alternate Names | Lissi; Mbuti |
Population this Country | 132,000 |
Population all Countries | 132,000 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 5 ● |
Unreached | No |
Frontier People Group | No |
GSEC | 1 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | |
People ID | 13043 |
ROP3 Code | 105727 |
Country | Congo, Democratic Republic of | ||
Region | Africa, West and Central | ||
Continent | Africa | ||
10/40 Window | No | ||
National Bible Society | Website | ||
Persecution Rank | 37 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | ||
Location in Country | Orientale province: Watsa, Djugu, Irumu, and Mambasa territories; Nord-Kivu province: border enclave north of Beni. Source: Ethnologue 2016 |
Country | Congo, Democratic Republic of |
Region | Africa, West and Central |
Continent | Africa |
10/40 Window | No |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 37 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Location in Country | Orientale province: Watsa, Djugu, Irumu, and Mambasa territories; Nord-Kivu province: border enclave north of Beni.. Source: Ethnologue 2016 |
Primary Religion: | Christianity |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 12.00 %) |
55.00 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
45.00 %
|
Hinduism |
0.00 %
|
Islam |
0.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.00 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
Primary Language | Lese (132,000 speakers) |
Language Code | les Ethnologue Listing |
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing |
Total Languages | 1 |
Primary Language | Lese (132,000 speakers) |
Language Code | les Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 1 |
People Groups | Speaking Lese |
Primary Language: Lese
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (2021) |
Bible-New Testament | No |
Bible-Complete | No |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Resource Type ▲ | Resource Name | Source |
---|---|---|
Audio Recordings | Audio Bible teaching | Global Recordings Network |
Map Source | Anonymous |
Profile Source | Anonymous |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |