The Dagoda of Timor-Leste

The Dagoda of Timor-Leste, numbering approximately 49,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an Indigenous Fataluku community of Lautém at Timor-Leste's eastern tip, centered around Lospalos, whose non-Austronesian Fataluku language belongs to the Timor-Alor-Pantar family. They mostly adhere to Roman Catholicism and Fataluku is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite: Dagoda

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Malay Peoples
Country: Timor-Leste
People Cluster: Timor
Primary Language(s): Fataluku (ddg)
Primary Religion(s): Roman Catholicism
Population: 49,500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG023118
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Dagoda of Timor-Leste

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Roman Catholicism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

86%
%
Roman Catholicism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Fataluku
Language Family: Timor-Alor-Pantar

100%
%
Fataluku Speakers

Media Resources in Fataluku:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Fataluku:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Fataluku bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Dagoda are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Dagoda:
Continue prayer and fasting for this group
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Pray specifically for the Dagoda of Timor-Leste

But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven"
readMatthew 9:14

Pray that those who are spiritually dead will recognize their need for spiritual nourishment and turn to the One who offers true fulfillment.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
readMatthew 6:10

Pray that God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven, and that people will seek His kingdom and righteousness above all else, trusting in His provision.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
readRomans 12:1

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will offer their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, knowing that this is their spiritual worship.

There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.
readMark 7:15

Pray for Christians to take any opportunity to share the hope of Jesus with lost people here, praying they will be wise like Jesus as they share the truth about what can defile people and what can make them clean.

Dagoda Across Countries (ROP3 - 102370) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

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