The Manya of Guinea

The Manya of Guinea, numbering approximately 107,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Maninka people of eastern Guinea's Kankan region, heartland of the 13th-century Mali Empire founded by Sundiata Keita, among the largest Mande-speaking peoples whose language and griot oral traditions spread across West Africa from that imperial core. They mostly adhere to Folk Islam and Manya is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Guinea
People Cluster: Malinke
Primary Language(s): Manya (mzj)
Primary Religion(s): Folk Islam
Population: 107,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG023165
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Manya of Guinea

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: Folk Islam
Religious Affiliation: Islam

99%
%
Folk Islam Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Manya
Language Family: Mande

100%
%
Manya Speakers

Media Resources in Manya:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Manya:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
2018 Edition✓✓✓

1 entry

Or check out the Manya bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Manya 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 Manya:
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 Manya of Guinea

O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.
readPsalm 10:17-18

Pray that God, in accordance with His good character, will give justice to those who are oppressed by sin and that they will know that His offer of salvation is for everyone.

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
readPsalm 8:1

Pray that those who have yet to believe will soon recognize the majesty of God's name and raise their voices in praise to the Lord Almighty.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
readMatthew 5:16

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will be humble and give glory to God through their good deeds.

And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men." And immediately they left their nets and followed him.
readMark 1:17-18

Pray that God will raise up believers from this place and/or other cultures nearby to proclaim the gospel to those who desperately need to encounter it.

Manya Across Countries (ROP3 - 111214) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

2 people groups

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

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