Karo in Papua New Guinea

Karo
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People Name: Karo
Country: Papua New Guinea
10/40 Window: No
Population: 9,000
World Population: 9,000
Primary Language: Rawa
Primary Religion: Christianity
Christian Adherents: 95.00 %
Evangelicals: 8.00 %
Scripture: New Testament
Online Audio NT: Yes
Jesus Film: Yes
Audio Recordings: Yes
People Cluster: New Guinea
Affinity Bloc: Pacific Islanders
Progress Level:

Introduction / History

The Karo are a relatively large group (for PNG) of individuals. They live on the slopes of the Finisterre range, though some have migrated down to the coast. They are closely related to the Rawa people who migrated from the Karo over the mountains in search of better land. They mostly live on what they grow in their gardens, but also have cash crops such as coffee, coconut (copra) and cocoa, which they sell in Madang. Some from this people group are working elsewhere in PNG.

Most Karo people are educated and the literacy rate in their second language is about 50% (above average for Madang Province), though in their own language it is less than 1%. They are a Christian group and have been for a long time, and they took the Good News to the Rawa people. In 2001 they got their own New Testament, which sold out, though few people can read it. There is a need for mother-tongue literacy and Scripture use projects.

Text Source:   Anonymous