Gane in Indonesia

Introduction / History

The Gane people live on Halmahera Island in South Halmahera Regency, North Maluku Province, Indonesia. The Gane people are also called the Gani or Giman people. They speak their own language, also called Gane.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Though the Gane have limited means, they show generous hospitality toward guests and outsiders, even offering visitors a place to stay overnight.
Most Gane make their living as farmers. Their primary crops are rice, corn, sweet potato, casava, other vegetables, nuts, cloves, coffee, nutmeg, cocoa and coconut. A small number of Gane people also make their income from fishing.
In the past the Gane district was famous for abundant and good quality harvests of sago, nutmeg, coconut and betel nut. These products sustained the Gane economy. Unfortunately, trade was often disturbed by Maba and Patani pirates.
In modern times, most of these crops have been replaced with palm oil plantations owned by a foreign company that has taken over much of the Gane farmland and destroyed many of the natural water sources. This same foreign company has caused many problems in other provinces of Indonesia, destroying the ecosystem and causing both economic hardship and social unrest.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Gane people confess Islam as their religion, passed down from one generation to the next. Many, however, continue to practice traditional pre-Islamic animistic beliefs in their daily life.

What Are Their Needs?

The Gane need advocacy help to stand against those who are taking over their land and natural resources. Along with many other groups facing the same issues, they need representation to the local government. Because of the damage to their ecosystem, they now need access to clean water and arable land for farming.
No scripture or other Christian resources are available in the Gane language.

Prayer Points

Pray for translation of the New Testament into the Gane language, and for God to prepare the hearts of the Gane to hear and receive the gospel.
Ask God to rescue the Gane from predatory foreign companies. Pray for God's mercy and protection for the people.
Ask God to send loving workers to the Gane to proclaim the gospel and to assist them in reclaiming their land and resources and recovering their livelihood.
Pray for a Disciple Making Movement among the Gane that will create multiplying churches and spread to neighboring people groups.

Text Source:   Joshua Project