November 23, 2001
The Fulani, or Fulbay as they call themselves, are the largest nomadic
people group in the world.
They’re nomadic traders who became zealous
Muslims in the 11th century. Through their jihad, or holy
wars, the Fulani people helped spread Islam through African countries
from Sudan eastward to Nigeria and beyond. Today the Fulani are still
traders and Muslims, but a few brave Christians are introducing them
to the gospel.
During the season of the Harmiton a relentless hot wind blows desert
sands across the Sahel. An ancient nomadic people called the Fulani
still proudly herd their cattle, sheep and goats through the barren
landscape. For over a millennium their lives have changed little, yet
this simple way of life has become increasingly difficult to maintain.
The Fulani, or Fulbay as they call themselves, are the largest nomadic
people group in the world. Their homeland lies in a geographical region
called the Sahel. With an estimated population between 10 and 20 million,
they spread across 19 countries in Africa in an area that stretches
from Senegal in the west to the Sudan in the east.
Though customs and languages vary from country to country, the Fulani
share a lifestyle that centers around their cattle. Geebeeleerow Deeko,
known to his friends as "Papa Deeko," explains, "The
Fulani without cattle isn’t Fulani. He finds his identity in his cows."
More than a million Fulani live in the former French colony of Burkina
Faso. They represent about 10 percent of the nation’s diverse population.
As the sands of the great Sahara Desert claim ever-increasing areas
of land, the number of Fulani who can survive by living a truly nomadic
lifestyle is decreasing rapidly.
Most Fulani in Burkina Faso now follow a semi-nomadic way of life.
They grow maize and mill it during the wet season and keep their animals
close to the homestead. Over the years a small percentage of Fulani
have moved to the capital city of Ouagadougou, yet even in the city
many continue to rely on their cattle.
Though they live in a world that is rapidly changing, the Fulani pride
themselves on their resistance to change, preferring to follow the ways
of their grandfathers and great-grandfathers. They wait for the rains
to return and hope for life to go back to the way it was.
At the core of Fulani identity is the Islamic faith. They are proud
of their historic role in spreading Islam throughout much of West Africa.
In Burkina Faso, more than 99 percent of the Fulani are Muslim. The
spiritual need is great. Though the doors are wide open for proclaiming
the gospel, most Fulani have never heard that the only way to God is
through faith in Jesus Christ. Of those who have heard, only a few have
believed.
Two thousand years ago in another desert country a man named Jesus
met a woman at a well and offered her the living water of eternal life.
Today, Jesus offers that same living water to the Fulani people. But
who will tell them?
(link: www.calebproject.org)
