Serer-Safen, Safi in Senegal

People Name:	Serer-Safen, Safi
Country:	Senegal
10/40 Window:	Yes
Population:	279,000
World Population:	279,000
Primary Language:	Saafi-Saafi
Primary Religion:	Islam
Christian Adherents:	20.00 %
Evangelicals:	0.02 %
Scripture:	Portions
Ministry Resources:	Yes
Jesus Film:	Yes
Audio Recordings:	Yes
People Cluster:	Atlantic
Affinity Bloc:	Sub-Saharan Peoples
Progress Level:

Introduction / History

The Saafi are an agricultural people living in the west of Senegal, southwest of and near Thies and the coast. They cultivate millet, peanuts and beans as well as a variety of fruit trees. The Saafi live in square mud brick houses, clustered together in enclosed compounds.

The Saafi are part of the larger Cangin people groups, originally all speaking one language. For various reasons, over the centuries they split their different ways and now have distinct, separate languages. Christianity came to the Saafi in the early 1800s, but in the last 40 years the area has become largely Muslim.

Desertification is causing the water table to drop each year and water is becoming more and more scarce. Spiritually, most Saafi who practice Islam or Catholicism also retain many of their traditional animistic beliefs. It is these beliefs that need to be challenged with the Gospel.