Kono in Sierra Leone

Kono
Photo Source:  Copyrighted © 2024
Kerry Olson  All rights reserved.  Used with permission
Send Joshua Project a map of this people group.
People Name: Kono
Country: Sierra Leone
10/40 Window: No
Population: 352,000
World Population: 352,000
Primary Language: Kono (Sierra Leone)
Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions
Christian Adherents: 12.00 %
Evangelicals: 1.00 %
Scripture: New Testament
Online Audio NT: Yes
Jesus Film: Yes
Audio Recordings: Yes
People Cluster: Manding
Affinity Bloc: Sub-Saharan Peoples
Progress Level:

Introduction / History

The ancestors of the Kono people arrived in their Sierra Leone location from what is now Mali and Guinea. They came in the 1500s.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Though some are diamond miners, most Kono people are farmers. They grow all kinds of fruits and vegetable for their own dinner tables and cash crops like kola nut, coffee and cacao.
Each day they travel from their villages to their farms to begin work. At one time they built their homes with mud, clay and thatch, but today they use cement and adobe blocks. Roofs are made out of corrugated sheet metal. These rectangular homes include a veranda where the women cook.
When the sun set, they gather in the open courtyard to sing and dance. They form a single file circle. Everyone makes up their own dance steps and the music is provided by drums for rhythm.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Though the Kono people adhere to either Islam or Christianity, they also practice their own ethnic religion. This usually involves invoking ancestral spirits whom they believe can protect and guide them. They believe these ancestral spirits stay with them during all their daily activities and even during sleep.

What Are Their Needs?

The Kono people need to put all their trust in Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Prayer Points

Pray for the Kono people to put their faith in the only savior.
Pray for Kono disciplers to make more disciples.
Pray for spiritual hunger for truth that will lead them to the foot of the cross.

Text Source:   Joshua Project