Isanzu in Tanzania

People Name:	Isanzu
Country:	Tanzania
10/40 Window:	No
Population:	102,000
World Population:	102,000
Primary Language:	Isanzu
Primary Religion:	Ethnic Religions
Christian Adherents:	45.00 %
Evangelicals:	10.00 %
Scripture:	Translation Started
Online Audio NT:	No
Jesus Film:	No
Audio Recordings:	Yes
People Cluster:	Bantu, Central-Tanzania
Affinity Bloc:	Sub-Saharan Peoples
Progress Level:

Introduction / History

The Isanzu live in a hilly area scattered with large boulders and rock formations in the north of Tanzania. They are primarily farmers of maize, millet, and sorghum. The rivers in the area are seasonal, so they have difficulty procuring enough water during the dry season.

Education is something the people strongly value, and most children go to school. The Lutheran Church is the dominant Christian presence in the area. Their missionaries first arrived in 1930. Currently the Lutheran Church in the area is run totally by local pastors. There are also small numbers of Pentecostal, Anglican, and Roman Catholic Christians. Although about half of the Isanzu claim affiliation with the church, it is estimated that at least half of them are nominal believers only. The local traditional religion still is adhered to by about half the population. A very small percentage of the Isanzu are Muslim.