Male, Koliku in Papua New Guinea

The Male, Koliku have only been reported in Papua New Guinea
Population
Main Language
Soq
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

The Koliku Male are an Indigenous people group of Papua New Guinea's Southern Highlands, living within a rugged landscape of mountains, valleys, and garden land. They are part of the wider Angal?speaking peoples of the region yet maintain a distinct local identity shaped by clan affiliation and inherited land.

They speak Angal Enen, using a local dialect in daily life. Oral tradition has long preserved their history, family lines, and social expectations. Over the past generations, sustained contact through Christian mission efforts and regional interaction brought significant change to Koliku Male spiritual life, reshaping community identity while leaving strong kinship patterns intact.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Koliku Male life centers on extended family and clan relationships. Households linked by kinship often live close together, sharing labor, food, and responsibility for children and elders. Elders are respected as advisors and mediators, especially in matters of land use and conflict resolution.

Subsistence gardening supports most families. Sweet potatoes, greens, and other crops are grown on hillside plots, and pigs remain important both practically and socially. Daily work is cooperative and physically demanding, shaped by seasons and the needs of the wider community. Meals are commonly shared, reinforcing bonds of mutual care.

Community life includes frequent gatherings for conversation, storytelling, and shared work. Church meetings have become some of the most regular and socially unifying events, bringing people together for worship, teaching, and fellowship.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Koliku Male are almost entirely Christian, with Evangelical faith publicly professed and socially reinforced. Churches are well established, and belief in Jesus Christ shapes moral expectations, community leadership, and responses to conflict. Christian identity is widely affirmed and visible in daily life.

At the same time, spiritual life is not perfect or uniform. Some believers continue to struggle with fear, relational conflict, or lingering assumptions linked to older spiritual ideas. While reliance on traditional ethnic religion is no longer dominant, discipleship depth varies, and the gospel has not yet reshaped every aspect of personal and communal life. Growth in understanding, obedience, and confidence in Christ remains an ongoing need.


What Are Their Needs?

Despite strong community structures and church presence, the Koliku Male face significant physical challenges. Access to consistent medical care is limited, especially for remote villages, leaving preventable illnesses and maternal health needs insufficiently addressed. Clean water access and sanitation infrastructure vary and continue to affect community health.

Educational opportunities beyond the basic level are scarce. Young people who desire further education or vocational training encounter barriers related to distance, cost, and infrastructure. Transportation remains underdeveloped, restricting access to healthcare, schooling, and economic opportunity. Addressing these needs would strengthen overall community resilience.


Prayer Items

Thank God for the strong Christian faith among the Koliku Male and for the gospel's lasting influence in their history.
Pray for deeper discipleship, that believers will grow in spiritual maturity and confidence in Jesus Christ alone.
Ask the Lord to raise up humble, biblically grounded leaders who will shepherd the church with wisdom and love.
Pray that the Koliku Male church will continue to send encouragement and gospel workers to people groups who lack a living relationship with the Lord of lords.


Scripture Prayers for the Male, Koliku in Papua New Guinea.


References

https://www.ethnologue.com/
https://www.silpng.org/resources/languages/angal-enen/
https://www.grn.org/en/people/angal-enen
https://www.britannica.com/place/Papua-New-Guinea/Highlands-region


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Male, Koliku
People Name in Country Male, Koliku
Alternate Names Koliku; Male
Population this Country 2,000
Population all Countries 2,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale Progress Gauge
Unreached No
Frontier No
GSEC 6  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed
PeopleID3 19102
ROP3 Code 105130
Country Papua New Guinea
Region Australia and Pacific
Continent Australia
10/40 Window No
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Location in Country Madang province: coast south of Bom.   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Country Papua New Guinea
Region Australia and Pacific
Continent Australia
10/40 Window No
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Location in Country Madang province: coast south of Bom..   Source:  Ethnologue 2016

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Primary Religion: Christianity
Major Religion Estimated Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity
95.00 %
Ethnic Religions
5.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Judaism
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Sikhism
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Soq
Ethnologue Language Code mdc
Ethnologue Language Familly Trans-New Guinea
Glottolog Language Family Nuclear Trans New Guinea
Written / Published Unknown
Total Languages 2
Secondary Languages
Male
Primary Language Soq
Ethnologue Language Code mdc
Ethnologue Language Familly Trans-New Guinea
Glottolog Language Family Nuclear Trans New Guinea
Written / Published Unknown
Total Languages 2
Secondary Languages
  Male

Primary Language:  Soq

Bible Translation Status:  Translation Started

Resource Type Resource Name Source
None reported  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.