Beginning
in the 15th century, the Zerma-Songhai peoples made up an
empire that controlled most of central and western Niger.
Although they came to adopt Islam as their religion, spirit
worship, magic, and sorcery remain incorporated in their beliefs
and practices to this day. The French arrived in the early
20th century, subjugating the Zerma and their neighbors under
colonial rule. In 1960, Niger gained independence. Though
the Zerma are no longer part of a powerful empire, they remain
a proud people, resistant to change.
There are almost three million Zerma across West Africa. Most
of the Zerma people live in Niger, West Africa. The majority
of these are Muslim, and have been for many centuries. Their
culture and traditions are tied closely to the practice of
Islam. Like Muslims everywhere, the Zerma hold to a set of
beliefs which begin with the confession that “there
is no God but God and Mohammed is His prophet.” They
observe the Islamic rituals such as the month of fasting during
Ramadan; they give a small portion of their income to charity;
they perform at least five daily prayers; and if they have
the means, they make a pilgrimage to Mecca. Every village
has a mosque where the men gather to pray and the larger towns
and cities have many, sometimes almost one per block. Although
there appears to be a strict adherence to Islam on the surface,
many Zerma also incorporate animistic practices into their
daily life resulting in a type of “folk Islam.”
These practices consist of things like wearing charms and
consulting mediums. Often these charms consist of small pouches
into which they will tuck Koranic verses. The extent to which
the Zerma participate in these practices varies from village
to village.
About half the Zerma population is under the age of 15 due
to increasing birthrates and decreasing infant mortality rates.
The Zerma language is called Zarma, and is closely related
to the Songhai dialect. Only about 10% of the Zerma are literate.
The children are educated in schools modeled after the French
system but most communication between Zerma people, even those
who are educated in French, is done in the Zarma language.
Less than 1% of the Zerma follow Christ. There are a few Christian
churches, mostly in Niamey, the capital city.
How do they live?
The primary occupation of the Zerma is farming with millet,
sorghum, beans, and peanuts making up the staple crops. Family
members work individual farms. The head of the household distributes
fields to each of the family members for cultivation. Men
are responsible for clearing, sowing, weeding, and harvesting
the millet. Women, in addition to their domestic tasks, help
in the sowing and harvesting of millet and are also responsible
for small plots of peanuts, okra, and peas. They will also
plant and tend dry-season gardens in areas with access to
water.
In addition to farming, the Zarma raise chickens, sheep, goats
and some cattle, although the larger animals are usually only
slaughtered and eaten during religious ceremonies and festivals.
The farming season is about five months long, from June to
October each year (the “rainy season”). During
the “cool season” many villages, especially those
located next to a good water source, will raise gardens. Many
of the men will leave their villages after harvest and look
for work in such places as the port cities of the coastal
countries of West Africa, returning in time for spring planting.
The farming and gardening is all done by hand, using long-handled
implements for the planting and cultivating of crops like
sorghum and millet. It is labor intensive, and it’s
not unusual to see one’s best efforts produce little
or nothing because of drought or pests, which destroy crops.
Zerma people hold many of the government jobs, especially
in Niamey, although the Hausa make up the majority of the
population of Niger. You will also find Zerma fisherman, teachers,
businessmen, etc. Farming, however remains the most respected
form of work.
It is not considered unusual for a Zerma man to take more
than one wife, although this practice is more common among
the older and wealthier men. For some, it is a sign of social
status. In general, the women are responsible for cooking,
cleaning, hauling water, caring for the children, and numerous
other chores that fill a day. They have little leisure time.
There are women in both the military and government.
Housing is generally mud brick – either round with mud
walls or rectangular with walls made of sun-dried mud bricks.
Most houses have straw thatched roofs. If a man has more than
one wife, each wife will have a separate house for her and
her children.
The primary celebrations are Muslim: tabaski (feast of the
sheep), Ramadan and Mawlid (Mohammed's birthday). Pressure
on everyone, including Christians from Muslim families, to
participate in tabaski and Ramadan is intense. The end of
Ramadan is a big feast and children go around asking adults
for money.
For weddings, there is usually an all-day celebration at the
bride's home, after which the groom's friends bring her to
his home where the couple and their friends celebrate for
three days. Seven days after a child is born, everyone is
invited to a naming ceremony where prayers are said for the
child by a Muslim priest, after which there is an all-day
feast.
The primary recreation is conversation. Sports, especially
soccer and traditional wrestling, are very popular. Children
play games such as langa-langa, a team sport played with one
leg held behind the back. Dili, a board game played in the
sand, is popular among older people. Western games such as
cards are also popular. Gambling is very common, though condemned
by conservative Muslims.
What
is the status of evangelization?
Although many have heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, few have
accepted Him as Savior. Less than 1% of the Zerma call themselves
Christian. The Niger government allows freedom of religion,
so missionaries are free to preach and share the Word of God
openly. Opposition tends to come primarily from Muslim leaders.
At the present time there are several mission organizations
working among the Zerma people in the capital city of Niamey,
in the town of Ouallam, and in 30 to 40 villages.
International Mission Board personnel have a vision to see
an indigenous church planting movement taking place among
the Zerma people throughout the world. Their mission is to
work in cooperation with fellow Christians to see that the
Zerma people have heard, understood, and had a chance to respond
to the Gospel.
How
Are The Zerma Being Reached?
Prayer is and will continue to be a key in reaching the Zerma
people. A monthly prayer letter is currently sent to about
500 people in the U.S. who in turn copy it and give it to
their churches and other interested people. Our goal is to
continue to expand this network around the world. We truly
believe that God moves and works in response to prayer and
that prayer, more than anything else will bring the Zerma
people to a saving faith in Christ.
We have used the storying method in much of our evangelism.
Storying, also known as Chronological Bible Storying, is a
method of sharing Biblical truths by teaching the stories
of the Bible in the order that they happened. As the stories
are told, the listeners hear and come to understand the nature
and character of God, and His plan for mankind, which began
before the creation of the world and will be fulfilled at
the final judgment.
Although the method can be adopted to a wide variety of contexts,
most of the storying takes place during weekly visits to a
home or village. After greetings are exchanged and visitation
is over, the storying "session" begins. First, the
material presented the previous week is reviewed. Then the
current story, or narrative passage, from the Bible is told
(for example: the story of the flood). After the end of the
story comes a time of review and discussion during which the
teachers poses questions designed to reinforce the teaching
found in the passage. As the stories progress, each one building
on the foundation of the previous stories, the listeners gain
a solid understanding of Scripture and the plan of salvation.
As the first set of stories culminates with the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ, it is evident that He alone
is the answer to our sinful and helpless condition before
a Holy and Righteous God. Other sets of stories can be used
to teach discipleship and church growth to believers.
For those who have difficulty reading or lack the desire to,
the stories present a way to carry an "oral Bible."
With frequent review, the stories can be memorized and then
used to teach others, or for personal reflection during devotional
times. All the truths we need to know about God are contained
in these stories; storying is a way of communicating these
truths in a way that is practical and reproducible.
The Bible is available in the Zarma language and we have made
use of it in teaching Zarma literacy, as well as for preaching,
teaching, discipleship, and personal growth. We hope someday
to make it available on audiocassette as well.
We have also made use of correspondence courses and Theological
Education by Extension. We are developing more in-depth storying
series for discipleship and leadership development.
The Jesus film has been translated into Zarma and we have
shown it in many villages. Many of these villages have requested
repeated viewings. There has not yet been any opposition from
the Muslim leaders to the showing of this film.
We are making use of audiocassettes as well since every village
seems to have a least one cassette player. Some of the cassettes
we loan out have an accompanying picture book, others are
simply messages originally recorded for radio programs. These
have proven to be quite popular and it’s not unusual
to come across a youth who can repeat parts of the stories
or messages verbatim. We’ve also discovered that they
circulate widely.
In Ouallam, we have set up a community center with a small
library and classrooms for instruction in sewing, English,
nutrition, etc. We’re also using it as a base for a
“mobile center” where we can take books and other
items to villages for a day.
Our ministry plans also call for the purchase of radio and
TV time to broadcast messages and media such as the Jesus
film and other evangelistic films.
We’ve had a number of volunteers come from the U.S.
over the past few years. Through activities like medical work
and prayer walking they have helped to open doors to ministry
in homes and villages as well as assist us in our work. They
also carry a vision and excitement for reaching the Zerma
people back to their home churches. |
