The Ogan people live along the Ogan River in South Sumatra, Indonesia. Locally, they are often referred to as the Pegagon, which identifies them as the indigenous people of the area.
Livelihood
Farming is the principal economic activity in the area and is based on three key crops: rice, rubber and coffee. The Ogan often hire workers or recruit extra family members to help at planting and harvest times. Some Ogan own small shops, while others work in palm oil and rubber factories. Most Ogan have a very low income.
Culture
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Ogan villages usually consist of 300-400 households. Houses are generally single-family dwellings of three or four rooms. Houses are raised on stilts. The lower section is used for storage or sometimes trade. In upstream Ogan territory, villages have unique identities: one village is known for woodworking, another for goldsmithing. Each village has a unique story of its founding and its conversion to Islam that sets it apart from other villages in the district. Islam is integrated into every aspect of daily life.
Beliefs
99.5% of the Ogan are Muslim. Since the 16th century, Ogan children have been taught that Islam is the only true religion of the Ogan. Both Sufi beliefs and traditional animistic customs influence the practice of Islam among the Ogan. People gather together for Islamic prayers as well as for ceremonies in which they pray to the spirits of their ancestors. Many Ogan also believe that spirits inhabit certain places and items.
There are only about 400 known followers of Jesus among the 375,000 Ogan people. Few people are reaching out to the Ogan, and there is no literature available in the Ogan dialect.
Prayer Points
- Pray for the 400 Ogan followers of Jesus. May they reach out in love to their neighbors and friends, sharing the Good News.
- Pray that entire families would come to know Isa al Masih (Jesus Christ).
- Pray for followers of Jesus from other ethnic groups in South Sumatra, that they will catch a vision for reaching out to the Ogan people.
- Pray that Scriptures would be translated into the Ogan language.
- Pray that the Ogan followers of Jesus would meet together regularly, and that they would work together to start new fellowships among their people group.
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