South Asia People Groups

In northern Pakistan lives a group of more than 5 million people. They represent a variety of people groups but are connected by the Hindko language. There is little interaction between these people and the rest of Pakistan due to rural living conditions and rigid Islamic beliefs.

The massive earthquake in 2005 provided many opportunities for sharing the Gospel. Believers still make up less than 1 percent of Hindko speakers.

Fast Facts

Religion: Sunni Muslim

Language: Hindko

Population: 5.28 million

My name is Zenub*. I live in the mountains of the North West Frontier Province, in northern Pakistan. My small village is made up of my family and my clan. I am an 18-year-old girl, and I have had three years of schooling. I have lived here my entire life, and I will stay here after I am married.

My family has many gardens where we grow potatoes, corn and green beans. We also have one cow and two goats. Where we live is very cold in the winter, so we move down the mountain until the snow melts in spring. Our houses are made of mud and straw with a dirt roof. Most of my family sleeps in the same room. Many homes were rebuilt after the earthquake in 2005. I know many people who lost their lives in the earthquake, and it has been difficult to move forward, but we are strong.

Every day, I wake up at sunrise to pray. Then I feed the animals and fill the water pots down by the stream. I take the animals down the mountain to graze and then return a little before sunset. After I come home, I help my mom and aunt prepare dinner for the family. We have no medical facilities and people get sick often, so life can be very hard.

Being a woman is difficult in the village because we do most of the work with the animals and harvesting the crops. The men spend time working in the local mosque or down the mountain in the main bazaar. We know that Allah is sovereign, and we live the best lives that we can in hopes that we will be in heaven one day.

(The story of Zenub is based on the life of a real person in the Hindko-speaking people group)

• Pray that God will open the hearts and minds of the Hindko-speaking people and that they will hear and understand the Truth!
  
• Pray that the national believers will feel the grace of God in their lives and will be bold in sharing their faith!
  
• The earthquake opened many doors to closed areas. Pray that the Gospel with break through the places under the greatest stronghold.
  

 *Name changed for security purposes.