1.5 million people who do not know the Great Shepherd

The Shuwa Arabs immigrated to Chad hundreds of years ago from the Sudan. Their language, is similar to the Arabic of the Qur’an. Islam is central to their identity and they consider themselves to be guardians of the faith.

Being very suspicious of strangers, they are also afraid of the “evil eye,” the influence of demons and the black magic of the neighbouring peoples. If, however, their confidence is won, their hospitality is abundant for outsiders.

How the Shuwa Arabs Live in Chad

The Shuwa are semi-nomads. Their life is focused on the welfare of the animals (cows, goats and sheep). Depending on the area, young families move in the dry season in search of food and water for the animals. In the rainy season they come back to manage the millet and maize fields. In general, they living in small communities, comprised mostly of relatives. When the water dries up and the animals can no longer feed off the land, or if the village has become too large, a group will simply wander on and settle in a new, uninhabited area. Some other families are heading for the cities where they are becoming successful traders and adopt urban habits.

It's Horrible

In recent years primary schools have been established in villages although only a few children attend. Some of the girls are circumcised at the age of 6-8 years. Often the girls are married in arranged marriages between 12 and 14 years to their cousins and usually become mothers by the age of 15. Many women have between 8 to 10 children although only 2/3 survive. Boys begin Islamic School around the age of six. These schools are often in other tribal areas so the boys grow up on their own, missing their parents and siblings. They must beg for their food and raise money for their teachers, some are accused of being thieves and are beaten.

Flad of Chad

Map of Chad

Prayer Starters:

• The Shuwa seem to have respect for “real” practicing Christians. Sometimes believing teachers and agricultural professionals are sent to the area. Unfortunately, many quickly leave or become indoctrinated in Islam or live extravagantly being drunkards. Pray that the few believers who live in the area can be true witnesses for the Messiah. May they live lives which are truly worthy of the Lord. (Colossians 1:9-12)
• There are no known Christians among these Arabs. A few individuals have asked for Bibles and cassettes. The Jesus Film is useful for making known the Gospel among these people.
• Proclaim the truths of John 10:10-16 in prayer concerning this nomadic and shepherding people. See also 1 Peter 2:24-25.

Listen to the Podcast - DAY 23 - The Shuwa Arabs in Chad

Video: Malnutrition and Diseases Lake Chad (3:30)

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N'Djamena presents a multicoloured mixture of ethnic groups, religions, cults and languages (there are around 120 spoken in Chad), Today, N'Djamena has a population of about one million - and significant urban expansion is still continuing. The city infrastructure has not been able to keep up with the large population increases; the water and electricity supplies are completely inadequate or non-existing in most parts of the city, and an efficient garbage and sewage disposal system is also lacking.

Segregation

Muslims in N'Djamena are politically, economically and religiously powerful, as well as imposing and sometimes even aggressive, making many of the Christians in the city feel inferior. Many Christians are fearful and only hesitantly proclaim the gospel to Muslims. While both Muslims and Christians have lived for years in the same city, geographically they are very clearly separated. The southern part of the city has over 150 evangelical churches, but in the larger northern districts there are only a few churches, which are surrounded by dozens, or even hundreds, of mosques. Thousands of Muslims have moved to the southern part of the city in recent years, while only a few dozen Christians have moved to the northern part. Today, Christians and Muslims live as neighbours in the newer districts: this means there is great potential for religious and ethnic tension, but also for new, God-prepared opportunities for evangelism and church-planting. The Church in Chad is learning to be salt and light in its daily contact with its Muslim neighbours.

In recent years, the Church in Chad has begun to send out missionaries into the Muslim areas of the country. However, the northern part of the capital, with around 700,000 Muslims, remains largely unreached. There are a handful of foreign and Chadian missionaries who work among them, but only a few know enough of the language and the culture to communicate the gospel effectively. Nevertheless, they have started some home groups. The missionaries need a lot of patience and courage.

In 2003, following much prayer and many struggles with the administration, an evangelical denomination obtained authorisation to start a private Christian radio station. Since then, the gospel is proclaimed every day, even in Chadian Arabic, a local dialect of Arabic spoken by most of the Muslims.

Flad of Chad

Map of Chad

Prayer Guide for N'Djamena, Chad:

* Thank God for the official freedom of religion in Chad.

* Pray for more workers to reach the Muslims in N'Djamena.

* Pray that the Chadian churches may overcome the cultural and historical barriers which make it difficult for them to proclaim Christ to their Muslim neighbours.

* Pray for house churches to be established among former Muslims.

* Pray for a powerful proclamation of the gospel by radio and all other available means (personal testimony, audio cassettes, literature, videos, etc).

* Pray for N'Djamena to attain its destiny and become God's place of rest.

Background on Chad (World Factbook)

Chad, part of France's African holdings until 1960, endured three decades of civil warfare as well as invasions by Libya before a semblance of peace was finally restored in 1990. The government eventually drafted a democratic constitution, and held flawed presidential elections in 1996 and 2001. Chad is divided into multiple regions: a desert zone in the north, an arid Sahelian belt in the centre and a more fertile Sudanese savanna zone in the south. Lake Chad, after which the country is named, is the largest wetland in Chad and the second largest in Africa. Chad's highest peak is the Emi Koussi in the Sahara, and N'Djamena, (formerly Fort-Lamy), the capital, is the largest city. Chad is home to over 200 different ethnic and linguistic groups. Arabic and French are the official languages. Islam and Christianity are the most widely practised religions.

Economy of Chad

Chad is one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the world; most inhabitants live in poverty as subsistence herders and farmers. Since 2003 crude oil has become the country's primary source of export earnings, superseding the traditional cotton industry. Over 80% of Chad's population relies on subsistence farming and livestock raising for its livelihood. Chad's economy has long been handicapped by its landlocked position, high energy costs, and a history of instability. Chad relies on foreign assistance and foreign capital for most public and private sector investment projects.

Statistics on Chad

Population: 10,758,945 (July 2011 est.) World Rank #77

Life Expectancy at Birth: 48.33 years. World Rank #219

Ethnic groups: Sara 27.7%, Arab 12.3%, Mayo-Kebbi 11.5%, Kanem-Bornou 9%, Ouaddai 8.7%, Hadjarai 6.7%, Tandjile 6.5%, Gorane 6.3%, Fitri-Batha 4.7%, other 6.4%, unknown 0.3%

Religions: Muslim 53.1%, Catholic 20.1%, Protestant 14.2%, animist 7.3%, other 0.5%, unknown 1.7%, atheist 3.1%

Languages: French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), more than 120 different languages and dialects

Literacy: 25.7%

School Life Expectancy: 7 years

Video: Sights and Sounds of Chad

Des mondes bien différents from Gérard Mouillaud on Vimeo.

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Flad of Chad

Flag of Niger

Flag of Nigeria

Kanuri main tribes consist of the Yerwa Kanuri, the Manga Kanuri, and Kanembu Kanuri. The majority of the Kanuri live in northeastern Nigeria, where they are the dominant people group. Smaller numbers are also located across the borders in the surrounding countries of Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. This entire region was once ruled by the ancestors of the Kanuri. Aspects of Kanuri culture, language, and religion have been adopted by many of the neighbouring tribes. The Kanuri are tall and very dark in appearance, with a stately, dignified look. Many Kanuri speak Hausa and Arabic.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Most of the Kanuri are farmers; however, they usually practice some other occupation during the dry season. Those who farm raise millet as their staple crop, and supplement it with sorghum, corn, and peanuts. They raise sheep, goats, and some horses. Kanuri settlements vary in size; but most contain walled-in compounds surrounding several mud or grass houses with thatched, cone-shaped roofs. These houses are very cool during the hot months. Farmland surrounds each settlement. Kanuri men marry while they are in their early twenties. Polygamy is common and a man may have as many as four wives. Young girls marry while they are in their teens. Ideally, a man wants his first wife to be a young virgin. However, the bride price for a virgin is quite expensive, so men often take divorced women as their first wives. The divorce rate among the Kanuri is extremely high, with eight out of ten marriages ending in divorce.

What are their beliefs?

The Kanuri have been Muslims since the eleventh century (about 1,000 years). Many superstitions and animistic beliefs are still practiced in conjunction with Islam. Charms and amulets are worn around the neck or in pockets for various reasons.

What are their needs?

Some of the Kanuri tribes do not yet have a translation of the Bible in their native dialect; others tribes have only portions of the Bible. Among the nearly five million Kanuri, there are several hundred known believers.

Adapted from material at the Joshua Project online.

Prayer Starters

* Ask God to call more people to proclaim the love of Jesus among the Kanuri.

* Ask the Lord to raise up strong local churches among the Kanuri and increasingly use the small number of Kanuri believers to share the Gospel with others.

* Pray that God will raise up people to translate the Bible into each of the Kanuri dialects.

Testimony from Africa:

Aïcha was born into a family that was partially Christian and partially Muslim. Eventually, under the influence of her older brothers, Aïcha started practicing Islam. At 18 years of age she married a Muslim man and continued to practice Islam including the fast of Ramadan and daily prayer. After the birth of her daughter Aïcha had an amazing series of dreams. Various aspects of the first dream convinced her to stop doing her daily Islamic prayers. Her husband convoked her brothers and sisters to convince her to recommence her daily prayers, but she could not be convinced. In the second dream she saw a man in the sky. Others were fearful of this man and ran but Aïcha was drawn to him even while he was still in the air. Strangely she found herself having an experience similar to the one recorded in Luke 7:36-50. Afterwards within a short time Aïcha met several believers in Jesus. She has given herself completely to the Lord. She suffered a divorce and many difficulties but she has seen the faithfulness of God in her life.

The general coordinator of “30 Days” worldwide has personally met Aïcha.

Video: Lake Chad under threat [3:35]

• Background information, maps and video on Nigeria are on our site here:
• Background information, maps and video on Niger are on our site here:
• Background information, maps and video on Chad are on our site here:

Hear the Good News in the Kanuri language!

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Chad's Maba peoples Homelands

Many Maba have emigrated to Sudan. Almost all of the approximately 500,000 Maba are Muslims, though elements of animism remain in their culture. When in town the Maba speak Chad Arabic, which is the trade language spoken in nearly the whole country (illiteracy rate: 90 per cent).

Flad of Chad

Map of Chad

The homeland of the Maba, the "Dar Wadday", is situated at the northern edge of the Sahel, where the rainfall during the two to three months of the rainy season averages only 300 to 400 mm. For this reason, the Maba cultivate mostly millet, which grows well under these conditions and constitutes their main food. Groundnuts, corn, beans, onions, and leafy vegetables complement their diet. Most Maba possess some goats or even cows. Access to drinking water is a problem for most villages: if a village lies near a dried-up riverbed (a wadi), water can be found 2 to 5 metres under the surface. Villagers not living next to a wadi have to carry water for long distances or have to dig wells 20 to 50 metres down into the hard soil. Some development agencies are working to improve water supply and agricultural exploitation of wadis, to improve the supply of food for the rural population.

Workers allowed in Chad

Chad is governed by a Muslim majority, but constitutionally it is not an Islamic state. Development work and Christian proclamation are therefore allowed. In the area where the Maba live, a small group of Christians has formed and a handful of Maba people participate in meetings. Despite theoretical freedom of religion, many Christians face much oppression in the Islamic areas of Chad, varying from public insults to refusing to sell them products in the market. Trials before the sultan, throwing of stones and even death threats occur at times. During other periods, Christians are left in relative peace.

Prayer for Chad:

* Pray for the small indigenous group of believers to grow in faith and remain faithful to the Lord.

* Ask God to give increased wisdom and love to those missionaries working in the region, so that they may teach believers how to live their faith in a culturally relevant way.

* Considering the many new mosques, Qur'anic schools and Islamic education institutes, mostly financed by foreign countries, there is a hunger for education and for new awareness. Pray that this hunger might prepare the way for the gospel.

* The Bible has not yet been translated into the Maba language. Pray for translators who will be committed to getting the job done.

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Where the Teda peoples Live

Most of the 30,000 Teda people live in the remote and isolated area of the Tibesti mountains, located in north-western Chad, north-eastern Niger and southern Libya. This area is surrounded by miles of the arid Saharan Sea of sand dunes and rocks. There are no paved roads into this area, but desert routes, which take days to negotiate depending on the weather conditions. Some have migrated for employment or education to live in centres such as Ndjamena, the capital of Chad; Sebha, a desert town in Libya; and around Bilma in Niger.

Map of Chad

To be Teda is to be Muslim

In recent years the Teda have played a key role in Chadian politics, in the 1960s spearheading a rebel coalition of northern Muslims, which contributed to a civil unrest which has lasted on and off for 30 years.

The Teda are thought to be one of the last groups to be Islamicised in the Sahara. Recently they have been influenced by those returning from other lands encouraging a more stringent practise of Islam. Some of the Teda follow a few of the practises of more ancient religious beliefs, which involve the appeasement and worship of mountain spirits. Many are reticent to travel anywhere alone in hours of darkness because of the fear of demons.

For the Teda, to be Teda is to be Muslim, and to consider being anything else, difficult to imagine or accept. Rejection from family and persecution will affect those who accept Christ. The Teda are an unreached people group and need to hear the word of God.

Prayer Guide for the Teda peoples

* Pray that the unreached Teda people in this remote part of the earth, will hear, see and receive His salvation. (Psalm 98:3: Isaiah 52:10)

* Pray that the bondage to the spirit world would be broken, and that the Teda would know in their inheritance in Christ. (Psalm 72:9a; Isaiah 43:19-21, Romans 8:38,39)

* Pray that whole families will come to Christ, that fear will not hold people back from choosing to follow Jesus.

* Pray that a Teda expression in the body of Christ will come into being. Pray for God's sovereign protection to be upon those who come to Christ.

Video: The Sahara

Sahara Wonderland from zoomion on Vimeo.

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