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 God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.
readEphesians 2:4-5

Pray that those who have not yet received new life will be made alive together with Christ, saved by grace and raised up with Him to newness of life.

All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.
readPsalm 66:4

Pray that the good news of Jesus will advance here and that many will bow down and sing praises to His name.

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples."
readJohn 8:31

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will abide in Christ daily, depending on Him for every need.

And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
readColossians 1:20

As believers cross cultures to tell others about Jesus, praise God for allowing them to be a part of His reconciling all things to Himself, asking Him to help them remember their role in His beautiful plan of salvation for others.

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

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

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