The Dyan of Burkina Faso

The Dyan of Burkina Faso, numbering approximately 37,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a small people of the Black Volta valley in southwestern Burkina Faso's Gaoua district, pushed into their present territory alongside the Sisala and Pwo when Dagara migrants crossed the river during the era of the Gwiriko Empire. They mostly adhere to Animism and Dyan is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Dyan

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Burkina Faso
People Cluster: Gur
Primary Language(s): Dyan (dya)
Primary Religion(s): Animism
Population: 37,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG012393
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Dyan of Burkina Faso

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Animism
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

72%
%
Animism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Dyan
Language Family: Atlantic-Congo

100%
%
Dyan Speakers

Media Resources in Dyan:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Dyan:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Dyan bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Dyan are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Dyan:
Continue prayer and fasting for this group
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Pray specifically for the Dyan of Burkina Faso

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
readRomans 3:23

Pray that those who live in fear, guilt and discontentment because of sin will see their need for change, hear, and receive the good news of freedom from sin through Christ.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
readMatthew 6:10

Pray that God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven, and that people will seek His kingdom and righteousness above all else, trusting in His provision.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
read2 Corinthians 5:17

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will understand and experience the truth that in Christ, they are a new creation, and the old has gone and the new has come.

"For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you."
readActs 17:23

Pray that believers God sends to cross cultures will be sensitive to the spiritual needs of the people they serve, and will proclaim the truth of Christ to them in creative ways that they will understand.

Dyan Across Countries (ROP3 - 102799) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

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