Population: 60,000

Location and Background:  The Rendille live in the Kaisut Desert east of Lake Turkana, as semi-nomadic pastoralists. There are two distinctive groups: the northern Rendille, who herd camels, and the southern Rendille who herd cattle as well, and are related to the  Samburu with whom they intermarry—Ariaal Rendille live closer to main roads and have more contact with the outside world.

History:   The Rendille are Eastern Cushitic peoples who migrated from the Suez Canal and Ethiopia, moving south to escape rivalry and conflicts over grazing land and water for livestock. Their oral history claims they are of Jewish descent and their Passover-type ceremony called Sorio (“sacrifice to God”) includes the slaughtering of a sheep by the first-born son and putting the blood on their doorposts.

Culture:   The camel is their essential animal, and the development of boreholes has allowed them a less nomadic lifestyle. They live in “manyattas” or homesteads of 70-100 houses, and they dress in bright colors and wear beads. The men undergo various rites of passage to bring them into adulthood; young girls are often spoken for at an early age and marry very young. There is a place in every village called “nahapo”. This is a place of watching and prayer with a fire burning that is never to go out. Every night the men of the village meet there at 8:00pm and one man is designated to lead them in prayer.

Religion: The Rendille live between the Muslims to the north and Christians to the south. They rejected Islam since Rendille believe prayer should be made with their faces toward the  heavens, not on the ground. They practice a traditional, animistic religion which includes prayer to the moon (which is considered a god), animal sacrifices and worship of ancestral spirits. They also have traditional religious practices that resemble those of Judaism. The name of their god is Wakh. The moon plays an important part in their religion. On the night of the new moon the first-born son of each family blows a horn with an accompanying prayer ritual.

Learn more about the Rendille at Joshua Project or about Kenya at Operation World.

Population: 240,000

Location: Remote North Central Kenya greatly dispersed between Mt Kenya and Lake Turkana.

History: The Samburu are a Nilotic people who originally migrated from Sudan, settling in Northern Kenya centuries ago.

Culture: Their name comes from their traditional leather bag they carry called a ‘samburr’. They are related to the Maasai. They are semi-nomadic pastoralists, keeping cattle, sheep, and goats. They especially love their cattle. Like the Maasai, they believe all cattle belong to them, and cattle raiding is a major preoccupation. Young unmarried men are warriors, charged with protecting the village from lions and hyenas, as well as raiding other tribes’ cattle.
Both men and women adorn themselves with colorful beaded necklaces and the young men braid their long hair and coat it with ochre.
Elders rule the clan and their curse or blessing is taken seriously.

Religion: Animism. The Samburu believe in a creator god ‘Nkai’. They pray and seek his blessing. Their beliefs are expressed in their traditions and rituals, which they are very careful to follow. It is not uncommon for children and young people, especially women, to report visions of Nkai. A few children gain a reputation for prophecy throughout their lives. Samburu also have ritual diviners, called ‘loibonok’, who divine the causes of individual illnesses and misfortune. Sin has a very restricted meaning and therefore, many would say they have no sin.

Population: 40,000

Location: North central Tanzania

History: The Sandawe are descendants of the original San people who first populated Africa.

Culture: Traditionally hunter-gatherers, it is mainly the old men who remember this way of life. Few wild animals remain in the area. People still collect honey, but the hunting and tracking skills are being lost. Many have adopted some agricultural and herding practices of their neighbors, the the soil is poor. The Sandawe were forced by the government to settle in more permanent villages and now they live in small villages scattered through the area, with a few small ‘towns’ here and there. The area is hilly with woodland and scrub.
They are fond of singing, dancing, and telling stories which portray themselves as small animals who use their cunning intelligence to outwit more powerful enemies.

Religion: Animism. They worship the moon and stars and practice with craft. They fear spirits. There are some Catholic converts, but they mix Catholicism with animism. Islam is making inroads.

Pray for the South Asian communities in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Many Indians came as laborers in the late 1800s and stayed on. They are known now as successful businessmen, controlling a significant segment of the economy even though they are a small minority. They are Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs.

Population: 82,000 in Kenya, 60,000 in Tanzania, and 15,000 in Uganda.

Location and Background: The majority of South Asians live in the big cities- Nairobi, Mombasa, Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, and Kampala. Most of them are involved in  business—they are believed to control about 40% of Uganda’s economy with their involvement in manufacturing, pharmacies, insurance companies, sugar industry, banks, real estate and hotels.

History: The Portuguese brought Asian laborers to East Africa in the 16th c to build Fort Jesus in Mombasa. Gujarati traders arrived in the 19th c and soon controlled trade in Zanzibar. Still today, their descendants control a sizable portion of the economy of Zanzibar. The British brought 32,000 indentured laborers from India (mostly Gujarat and Punjab provinces) to build the Mombasa to Kampala railway. Once completed, many stayed on and brought their families. Many settled in Nairobi. They prospered and gained political representation from the colonial powers. At the time of Kenyan independence, they were made to choose between British and Kenyan citizenship. Those who chose British citizenship were forced to leave. In Tanzania, the president ensured equal rights for all and so ushered in a smooth transition to independence. In Uganda, Idi Amin expelled all the Asians after independence, but in 1992 President Museveni simplified a law, allowing the Asians to return and re-acquire their lost businesses.

Culture: South Asians in East Africa include Punjabi, Gujarati, and Kutchi speakers. They often live in close knit communities and maintain their culture and close ties to family in India.

Religion: The majority of Hindi speakers practice Hinduism, which is more a lifestyle than a religion, where they worship a pantheon of gods, both good and evil. Hinduism teaches the soul never dies but is reincarnated. The law of “karma” states actions affect how the soul will be reborn. Gujarati Muslims worship Allah and obey the five pillars of Islam. The Sikh community is recognized by their traditional turbans and beards. They believe in the Equality of Mankind, the universal Brotherhood of Man, and One Supreme God (Ik Onkar). They strive for the union of the soul with God by disciplining their thoughts and actions to dispel lust, anger, greed,  attachment and ego. They believe  they can escape reincarnation if they achieve the union of their soul with God.

Learn more about the South Asians at Joshua Project or about Uganda at Operation World.

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary and gathered from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.” Psalm 107:1-3

Population: 90,000

The Swahili Arabs live along the coasts of Tanzania and Kenya, East Africa, in an area commonly known as the Coastal Belt. They are concentrated in some of the ancient settlements along the coast and in cities such as Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Mombasa. They can also be found throughout Zanzibar and Kenya’s Lamu Islands. The Swahili Arabs refer to their ancestors as the “old” or “true” Arabs. The group arose from intermarriage between traders from Arabia and local Bantu & Cushitic peoples. Slaves and mangrove poles were the main commodities sent to Arabia and South Asia. Even today, many Arab Swahili aspire to work in the Gulf States and families frequently intermarry between Yemen and Oman. Culturally and theologically, Arab Swahili proudly align themselves with Arabia rather than Africa.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Their lifestyle is suited to the environment in which they live. Most of the Swahili Arabs live in rural villages. They are primarily farmers and fishermen, although some who live in the cities may have other professions. The farmers grow cereal grains, vegetables, spices, and raise livestock. Some may have special skills as carpenters, ship wrights, or religious leaders; a few have become teachers or doctors.

Coastal Arab villages consist of houses that are situated closely together often with several generations living in the same house. There are many female headed households as a man is expected to provide a house for each of his wives and their children. Many women never leave the home. Family honour is very important, and each family member has a defined role according to Arab tradition. The family unit provides security during times of economic hardship and in old age. When young people leave their villages to find jobs in the towns or cities, the family socio-economic system is often weakened. Drug use among the youth is an increasing problem in society, especially in urban port cities.

As soon as a baby is born, the name “Allah” is whispered in its ear so that this will be the first word the child hears.

Boys and girls are raised together during early childhood; however, they receive very different treatment. While boys may be sent to school and madrassa (an Islamic school where they are taught to read and recite the Quran in Arabic), girls are often only sent to the madrassa and so may never learn to read and write their mother tongue.

Among the Coastal Arab Swahili, marriages take place as a way to continue a family lineage or as a means of meeting a family’s needs. The Swahili Arabs tend to marry other Swahili Arabs and Somalis or Arabs, because they are proud of their Muslim and Arab heritage and desire to remain a closed group. Polygyny (having multiple wives) is normal in Muslim Arab Swahili society and divorce and remarriage is very common.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Swahili Arabs are virtually all Sunni Muslim. Many follow the teachings of the Quran because it provides hope for a better life after death. Like other Muslims, the Swahili Arabs adhere to the five “pillars” of Islam. These include reciting prayers five times a day while facing Mecca, affirming that Allah is the only god and Mohammed is his prophet, observing the prescribed fasts, giving alms to the poor, and making at least one pilgrimage to Mecca. They are increasingly moving towards Wahhabi Islam due to the influence of the Gulf States and as a reaction against secular national governments which they perceive as persecuting them. Some of their cities boast centres of advanced Islamic learning and pilgrimage that attract students and teachers from all over Africa and beyond. These madrassas train Muslim evangelists and imams who then move to other parts of Africa.

In a strong contrast to most of sub-Saharan Africa, many ordinary laypeople, both men and women, are theologically literate and articulate. They know their Quran and Hadith and are well versed in Islamic apologetics.

The mosque is the centre of worship and society. Men regularly attend the mosque for prayer, but women rarely attend, making their prayers in the home. While men worship at the mosques, women usually attend ceremonies conducted at home by female religious leaders.

In addition to their Islamic beliefs, some of the Coastal Arabs also believe in spirits and possession is not uncommon, especially among women. They may try to appease these spirits during times of crisis or sickness by enlisting a specialist to recite appropriate Quranic verses.

Religion: The Swahili are almost 100% Muslim, with very few believers reported.

Pray for the Zaramo of Tanzania. They are subsistence farmers, living on the coastal plains of Southern Tanzania around Dar es Salaam. They are Folk Muslims, following Islam but still making sacrifices to a spirit called ‘Kolelo’ and fearful of witchcraft and being poisoned.

There are a few believers. Pray for a young woman who recently became a Christian. Her mother refuses to talk with her. Pray she would be strong and courageous and her family would come to faith as well. Pray for Tanzanian churches to reach out to their Zaramo neighbors. 

Population: 600,000

Location and Background:   The Zaramo are a Bantu tribe  living on the coastal plains and low hills on the southern coast of Tanzania, in a rural horseshoe around Dar es Salaam. They are subsistence farmers with limited resources, though some live in the city and have urban professions.

History:   They moved into their present location from the west about 200 years ago. They were involved in the slave trade and would hunt slaves from other tribes. The relocation of the Tanzanian people in the 1960s caused great upheaval in the Zaramo culture, as they were the indigenous tribe of what became the economic capital, Dar es Salaam. Their land was bought up by more economically aggressive people. Although they could have become a more dominant tribe, they failed to gain influence due to internal fighting. They are often looked down upon because of lack of education.

Culture:   In addition to growing cash crops (mangoes, oranges, coconuts, cashews, rice, tobacco, maize, beans, yams, pineapples, sugarcane, limes and cucumbers), they also raise livestock such as goats, sheep and chickens, and make charcoal and do some carpentry and carving. Traditionally, decisions were decentralized, but today they operate under government structures. They are a matrilineal society as far as land inheritance–the birth of a girl is great cause for  celebration. Polygamy is practiced and divorce is common. Tribal history and traditions are passed down orally, and children go to school if it’s available. Traditional ceremonies include the  young woman’s rite of passage, young male circumcision, as well as others for the birth of children, marriage, and funerals.

Religion:   Islam has only gained a foothold in the last hundred years and although they observe basic Islamic practices, they have mixed them with their traditional religious worldview. They make sacrifices to a spirit called “Kolelo” and have ceremonies around the harvest. They fear poison and witchcraft. There are scattered churches of non-Zaramo people in the area, but Christianity is considered the religion of “outsiders”, and there are only a few Zaramo believers.

Learn more at Joshua Project or Operation World.

Scripture: Pray the Zigua would, “Here the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’” (Jer 31:10)

Population: 631,000

Location: North-East Coastal Tanzania

History: It is believed that the Zigua fled East from their homeland to their current location on the coast to avoid the slave trade of the 18th century.

Culture: The Zigua are Bantu people. They are farmers growing sisal, a fibrous plant used to make rope and mats. They also grow sesame and corn. “In coastal villages we visited, they are more fishing oriented,” writes AIM missionary Jeremy, after a survey to learn more about the group.  “The rural community of Komsanga, [which we visited], had very rudimentary houses and very little development.  The central town of Miono, about 10 km away from Komsanga, has electricity, a hospital, shops, and restaurants.  You don’t have to travel far out of this town to notice the dramatic change in apparent wealth, moving from brick houses with good tin roofs and electricity to mud walls and grass thatch without electricity or a close water source.”

The Zigua live in small houses are mud walls with grass thatch.  These are quite small buildings, ranging in size from about 6 square meters (65 sqr. feet) to perhaps 33 square meters (360 sqr feet) and are grouped in small clusters of two to eight houses.

Religion: Islam is the primary religion of the Zigua. It is often mixed with African Traditional Religion which includes ancestor worship. Some Zigua have chosen to follow Christ, and the Joshua Project reports that 3% of the the Zigua are evangelical Christian

Engagement: There are other organizations that have been working in and amongst the Zigua people, sometimes for many years.  For example the New Testament has been translated , the Jesus Film is available in Kizigua as well as other resources.  IMB and other organizations are currently engaged or are starting engagement as well.