Lomwe People of Mozambique and Malawi

Location. The Lomwe are one of the four largest ethnic groups living in Malawi. They are located primarily in the southeast section of Malawi with the largest concentration being in Phalombe district. Others live in Mulanje, Thyolo, Chiradzulu, Zomba, and Liwonde. Smaller numbers are scattered throughout the southern region of Malawi. In Mozambique, the Lomwe are found almost entirely in Zambezia Province.

History. The Lomwe are originally from what is now Mozambique to the east of Malawi. More Lomwe live in Malawi than in Mozambique (1.8 million in Malawi, 1.5 million in Mozambique). However, the migration of large numbers of Lomwe to Malawi had already taken place before the missionaries, white traders, and colonialists arrived in the latter part of the nineteenth century. There was a large influx of Lomwe into Malawi in the 1930's because of tribal wars in Mozambique.  Another contributor of Lomwe migration to Malawi was Mozambique's long civil war.

Identity. The Lomwe are Bantu people of the Negroid race as are most of the people of southeastern Africa. In the past the women made distinc-tive scarification marks on their cheeks, but this custom is dying out.

The Lomwe are a rural people with only 5-10% living in urban areas. They are primarily subsistence farmers. Many of them love to hunt though wild game is scarce.

Language. The Lomwe language is written using the Roman alphabet.  Although the Lomwe are continuing to keep many of their traditions, the Lomwe language is being used less and less with only the elderly still continuing to use it as their first language. Most of the Lomwe speak Chichewa which was made one of the two national languages of Malawi in 1968.

Political situation. Mozambique's muddy political history has not greatly influenced the rural dwelling Lomwe people, except to really scatter the people group over the area and into Malawi. Neither Portuguese culture nor Marxist teaching were seriously embraced by these people.  In Malawi the three main parties are somewhat aligned along regional lines. The Lomwe identify mainly with the ruling party, which is the predominant party in the Southern Region.

Customs. Lomwe customs are centered around work and play. The men build the houses, the barriers to protect the gardens, and the grain bins to store the maize. They also like to make grass or reed mats.

In the past the men have been skilled hunters, but there is little game remaining to be hunted. The major tasks of the women are cooking and caring for the children. Also they enjoy making clay pots. The young girls start helping their mothers at an early age often carrying their younger siblings on their backs when they can barely do so. The Lomwe enjoy working together as evidenced by friends and neighbors working together cultivating one another's fields.

Religion.  The religious leaning of the Lomwe vary greatly with the degree of penetration of Christianity. The Baptist Union in Mozambique has had a strong influence in areas surrounding its churches. However, in general, the Lomwe are animists who still worship ancestral spirits. Though most Lomwe would consider themselves Christians, the traditions of the ancestors greatly influence their daily lives.

Christianity. The Universities Mission to Central Africa began work at Magomero in Southern Malawi in 1861. As the Lomwe are one of three major ethnic groups in that area, they were among the first to receive a Christian witness in Malawi. So many of the Lomwe who came into Malawi from Mozambique in the 1930's were Roman Catholic that the Catholic Church in southeastern Malawi was sometimes called "the Lomwe Church."  Mozambique also has a greater than 100 year history of evanelist effort among the Lomwe, especailly due to the efforts of the Baptist Union of South Africa.

The Lomwe are very responsive to the Gospel. About three-fourths of them would claim to be Christian with a few more Catholics than Protestants.

Mozambique

Official language: Portuguese

Capital city: Maputo

People Status: Lomwe of Mozambique

Other Countries where present: Malawi

People name: Lomwe or Elomwe

Langugage: Elomwe, sometimes also Portuguese

MALAWI

Official languages: Chewa and English

Capital city: Lilongwe

People Status: Lomwe of Malawi

Countries where present: Mozambique

People names: Lomwe

Language: Chilomwe, in practice usually Chichewa/Nyanja

Prayer Topics

• Pray that God will pour out His Spirit on the Lomwe in a great spiritual awakening that crosses denominational lines.

• Pray for Lomwe Christians to be bold in sharing their faith with their lost friends and neighbors.

• Pray for God to call out capable men and women to serve as leaders of the new churches that are being planted among the Lomwe.

• Pray for the new Lomwe Christians to mature in Christ putting old animistic beliefs in witchcraft and sorcery behind them.

• Pray that missionaries may be called out to target specifically the Lomwe people who live in areas unreached due to difficult access.

• Pray for literacy projects among the Lomwe so that more of them may learn to read the Bible.

• Praise God for Lomwe language Christian radio programs on Trans World Radio. Pray that many nonreaders may hear the Gospel message through their ministry efforts.

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