Lebou Wolof in Mauritania


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

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Introduction / History

If a person from America or Europe gets into a boat and comes to West Africa, his or her first contact with an African person will most likely be with a Lebou fisherman. The Lebou live in small fishing villages located along the coast of West Africa from Mauritania to Guinea. Their villages are sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean and the desert. The Lebou people speak Wolof. However, they have their own distinctive dialect that sets them apart from the surrounding, and much larger, Wolof people group.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Modern Lebou still live in fishing villages. However, for many of them, large cities have grown up around them and much of their property has been confiscated for urban development. The "Dakar" Lebou villages, such as N'gor, Oakam, and Yoff, are now incorporated neighborhoods with a city of more than three million people surrounding them. The skyscrapers of downtown Dakar dwarf the towers of their mosques.

The basic diet of the Lebou people consists of fish and rice. A few raise chickens and goats on a limited scale. At the markets, they purchase rice, vegetables and spices. Ceebu-jenn (rice and fish in a rich vegetable sauce) is a favorite Lebou meal. They often compliment this with smoked sea urchins they collect from the rocks along the coast.

The Lebou are fond of attaya, the Senegalese tea. They serve this tea in three rounds. The first is strong and bitter. The second is slightly sweeter and sometimes has mint in it. The third is very sweet with lots of mint. The tea ceremony reflects friendship. The longer we are friends, the sweeter our friendship grows.

For recreation, the Lebou enjoy storytelling, dancing and wrestling. They also look forward to all social occasions such as baptisms, weddings, and any other times they can join as a community. The Lebou people are quick with a joke or a prank. An afternoon spent in their homes is an enjoyable experience.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Lebou Wolof are solidly Muslim. They are unlikely to consider their need for a sin-free Savior until the Holy Spirit speaks to their hearts. They look to the spirit world to help them with their daily needs.


What Are Their Needs?

Like all peoples in West Africa, the Lebou need better schools and hospitals.


Prayer Points

Pray for more schools, hospitals and roads for the Lebou Wolof people.
Pray for them to thrive economically as a testimony of God's power and mercy.
Pray for an unstoppable movement to Christ among every Wolof people group this decade.
Pray for Lebou Wolof disciples to make more disciples.


Scripture Prayers for the Wolof, Lebou in Mauritania.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  
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Additional Info
Link Up Africa
People Name General Wolof, Lebou
People Name in Country Wolof, Lebou
Natural Name Lebou Wolof
Alternate Names Lebou
Population this Country 1,500
Population all Countries 242,000
Total Countries 2
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 18907
ROP3 Code 114865
Country Mauritania
Region Africa, West and Central
Continent Africa
10/40 Window Yes
Persecution Rank 20  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Trarza and Brakna regions.   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Country Mauritania
Region Africa, West and Central
Continent Africa
10/40 Window Yes
Persecution Rank 20  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Trarza and Brakna regions..   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Primary Religion: Islam
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.40 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
99.60 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Wolof (1,500 speakers)
Language Code wol   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Lebou
Dialect Code 18326   Global Recordings Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Wolof (1,500 speakers)
Language Code wol   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Lebou
Dialect Code 18326   Global Recordings Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Wolof
Photo Source West Africa Gateway 
Map Source Anonymous  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.