The Maninka, population 118,000, lives in the tropical rain forests of Sierra Leone and speaks Maninka, one of many Manding languages. Over 11 million Africans speak some type of Manding. Most Manding speakers can trace their roots back to the Mail Empire which rose to power in the 11^th century under the ‘lion king’ Sundiata. After unifying his own kingdom, Sundiata started conquering surrounding countries and thus the Manding language spread, as did the Islamic religion which was brought across the Sahara Desert by foreign merchants.

Gradually Islam was blended with traditional beliefs which involved the worshipping of ‘spirits’. It is not uncommon for the Maninka to pray in the mosque and then sacrifice a chicken to the ‘village spirit’. Many Maninka observe Islamic rituals with no understanding and view Allah as being the supreme god but see him as inaccessible and not concerned with their daily affairs. Pray that the Maninka Unreached People Group, with only 2% adherents to Christianity, will turn to the true and living God who is concerned about every aspect of life.

The Maninka society consists of: free born, artisans and slaves. The free born, formerly only royalty, now includes merchants and farmers while the artisan class includes leather craftsmen, blacksmiths and singers. The Maninka has a rich musical heritage which is reflected in the national anthems of four West African nations. In today’s world, most Maninka people are farmers of millet, rice, sorghum and peanuts. They also raise goats, sheep, bees, poultry and dogs.