Languages

ACHOLI

Africa (Uganda) Population: 1.200.000

The Acholi are Nilotic speaking people, living on the north part of Uganda. Their language is very similar to the Lou of Kenya. 

They are small scale farmers, growing sorghum, Maize, Tobacco, beans, squash, peanuts, and raise cattle and sheep. Some are also engaged in fishing.

Learn more on Acholi people or read Acholi stories

ALAMBLAK

Pacific (Papua New-Guinea) Population: 2,000

The Alamblak are living in 9 villages on Middle Karawari and Wagupmeri rivers, Tributes of the great Sepik River. The story here was written near Kuvanmas lake, where another dialect is being spoken.

Learn more on Alamblak people here or read Alamblak stories.

||ANI

Africa (Botswana)   Population: 1,000

The ||Ani  people are sub group of the San people in Botswana.  previously, hunters-gatheres, today many of them are pastoralist, working in farms. They are living near Khwedam, in North-West Botswana.

Learn more about the San people here.

ANYUAK (ANUAK)

Africa (South Sudan, Ethiopia), Population  150,000

Originally lived on the Upper Nile, The Anyuak fled their land due to the citizen war in Sudan, and now setteled in Gambela region of Ethiopia, and east South-Sudan.

The Anyuak economy based on mixed farming and cattle herding. They speak a Nilotic language, similar to that of the Acholi.

Learn more on Anyuak people, or read  Anyuak stories

 BORANA

Africa (Kenya and Ethiopia) Population: 4,000,000

The Borana are one of the biggest group belong The Oromo society.

Ecologically, the their land in southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya is semi-arid, therefore they practice pastoral lifestyles based on herding of livestock such as cattle, goats, sheep, and camel.

Learn more on Borana People or read Borana Stories.   see photos of Borana people

BUKUSU

Africa (Kenya), Population : 1.500,000

Bukusu is the biggest  tribe  (out of 17) of the Baluhya (Luhya) people, one of the largest ethnic groups in Kenya. They occupy  The border area of Kenya and Uganda near Mt. Elgon.

Learn more on Bukusu people or read Bukusu stories.

BURJI

Africa (Ethiopia) Population: 70,000

Burji is a small group reside south of lake Chamo, in the rift valley.Many of them migreted south, and now can find also in Kenya.  They speak a Cushitic language, Burji, also known as Bambala.

Read Burji Stories

DAGOMBA

Africa (Ghana) Population: 800,000

The Dagomba people inhabit  the  savanna land in Northern part of Ghana, around the city of Tamale. They live in small villages, each village has a chief. The traditional family home, made of mud and straw roofing is  very unique: The Male hut is square, while the female hut is round.

As part of the family economy, the women are  working very hard in producing the SHEA butter, which has a big demand for cosmetics.

The Dagomba language is called Dagbani.

Read here Dagamba stories or see Dagomba photos

EWE

Africa (Togo and Ghana), Population: 3.500.000

The Ewe Is an ethnic group which inhabit the southern part of Togo and Ghana, from the Mono river in the east and the Volta river in the west.

Most Ewe are farmers, growing maize, yams and vegetables. In Ghana they are talented weavers, weaving form of Kente cloth. Near the coast they do fishing.

Learn more on Ewe people or read Ewe stories 

FIPA

Africa (Tanzania), population: 200,000

The Fipa people are Bantu speaking people from south-west Tanzania. They are farmers who grow Millet, Coffee, wheat and fruits, and some engaged in fishing.

Learn more on Fipa people, or read Fipa stories

GA

Africa (Ghana), population: 700,000

The Ga people live in and around Accra The Capital city of Ghana. Their language is part of the Kwa languages group (of the Niger-Congo family). They are traders and fishermen, while the family organization is matrilineal.

Learn more about the Ga people, or read Ga stories

GANDA

Africa (Uganda),  population: 5,000,000

The Ganda people are the biggest Ethnic group in Uganda. They are farmers, occupying a very fertile land. At the 19th century they were organized as a kingdom with a king (Kabaka).

Learn more about the Ganda people or read Ganda stories

GUSII (Kisii)

Africa (Kenya), population: 3.500.000

The Gusii (Kisii, in Kiswahili) ethnic group are Bantu speaking people living in south-west Kenya. They are divided into seven clans.

With fertile agricultural land, of rolling hills the Gusii are primarily agrarian, growing food crops such as maize, beans, potatoes, cassava, pigeon peas, onions, bananas, and tomatoes. Coffee is the most popularly grown cash crop, along with tea.

Learn more  on Gussi people or read Gusii stories

HAYA

Africa (Tanzania), Population: 1,400,000

The Haya people inhabit the northwestern corner of Tanzania. They are divided into two sub-groups. The Hima, who are pastorals, and the Iru, which are agriculturists

The Haya are well known for their .knowledge forging steel, for around 2000 years.

Read Haya stories

IATMUL

Pacific (Papua New-guinea). Population: 9,000

A general name for group who occupy the Middle Sepik River, who share dialects of the same language. They are not centralized, and never act politically, socially, or economically as a single unit.

Traditional religious beliefs centered on the spirits of the rivers, forests, and swamps. Male initiation is a common practice, It involve scarification of the upper back and chest of the young initiate, in a pattern that resemble the crocodile.

The Iatmul diet consists primarily of fish and the edible palm tree called sago.

Read here Iatmul Stories.

KIPSIGIS

Africa (Kenya) Population: 2,100,000

The vast majority of the Kipsigis live within the Kericho District, an area of 5,000 square kilometers in the highlands of southwestern Kenya.

The Kipsigis are subgroup of the Kalenjin peoples (which comprise of nine distinct subgroups).

Learn more on Kipsigis people or read  Kipsigis Stories.

KONSO

Africa (Ethiopia), Population: 300,000

Konso is an Ethno-linguistic group located in the arid highlands of southwestern Ethiopia, and related to the Oromo people.

Their ancestors arrived there around 5,000 years ago, bringing with them the agricultural techniques that are still evident today, like the stone terraces which retain the soil from erosion.

Their villages located at strategic points on high hills, and are ringed by ringed by dry stonewalls, which helps the defance.

The Konso are notable for the erection of wagas, memorial wooden statues to a dead man who has killed an enemy or was rich with livestock or children.

Learn more about Konso people or read Konso Stories.

KRIO

Africa (Sierra- Leone), Population: 5,000,000

Krio (Creole) is the pidgin language, and the linga franca of many Sierra-Leoneese,

Spoken as first language (~600,000 people) mostly by the descendants of

repatriated slaves from Jamaica.

read Krio stories

KUMAN- CHIMBU

Pacific (Papua new-Guinea) Population: 140,000

The Kuman live in the Chimbu Valley in the mountainous central highlands of Papua New Guinea.

Their houses are not organized into villages, but rather have a dispersed settlement pattern. Women build houses near the fields, where they grow sweet potato, sugarcane, greens, beans, bananas, taro, and nut and fruit varieties of pandanus. Pigs are by far the most important Domesticated animal to the Chimbu and are the supreme valuable, sacrificed to the ancestors in pre-Christian times and blessed before slaughter today. The sun was seen as a major spirit of fertility. Although many traditional supernatural beliefs still exist, various Christian sects claim the majority of Chimbus as members.

Learn more on Kuman language or read Kuman Stories

KURIA (ABAKURIA)

Africa (Kenya and Tanzania), Population:  700,000

The Kuria people live west to the river Mara in Kenya and Tanzania. They are divided into 17 sub-clans (4 in TZ and 13 in Kenya). They are related to the Gusii (Kisii) people in Kenya, and claim that in the past they were one nation.

The Kuria economy based on agriculture (Maiza, Coffee, Tobacco) and pastoral life. They herd cattle, and are in constant clashes over cattle with the Maasai, their northern neighbors.

Learn more on Kuria people, or read Kuria stories.

LOU

Africa (Kenya),  population: 4,500,000

The Lou, close relatives of the Acholi in Uganda, are Nilotic speaking people (the language called Dholou), living on the Eastern side of lake Victoria in Kenya. They practice mixed economy: Pastoral-Fishing-agriculture.

The Lou are unique people in Kenya, since they are among the few ethnic groups in the country that do not circumcise the boys.

Learn more on Lou people, or read Dholou stories.

MAASAI

Africa (Kenya and Tanzania), Population: 1,300,000

The term Maasai refers to “one who speaks the Maa language”

Originated from the lower Nile valley north of lake Turkana, They began migrating south around the 15th century. Today, they live in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania along the Great Rift Valley, on semi-arid and arid lands. They occupy a total land area of 160,000 square kilometers.

Learn more about Maasai people , read  Maasai Stories  or see photos of Maasai

MERU

Africa (Kenya) population: 1,658,000

The Meru Ethnic group live on the north-eastern slope of Mt’ Kenya. With fertile agricultural land, the Meru are primarily agrarian, growing food crops such as corn, beans, potatoes, and millet. Coffee is the most popularly grown cash crop, along with tea, cotton and miraa (ghat) a stimulant plant.

The Meru tribe is a fairly homogeneous group composed of nine sub-tribes, each of which speaks its own dialect of the Kimeru language.

Initiation into adulthood takes place with circumcision rituals.

Learn more about Meru people or read Meru Language Stories

NGONI

Africa (Tanzania and Mozambique) Population: 250,000

The Ngoni people originated from South-Africa. On the early 19th century, due to the rise of the Zulus, some Ngoni tribes migrated north, and settled on the west part of Tanzania, near lake Tanganika. Other Ngoni groups settled in Mozambique.

Learn more on Ngoni people or read Ngoni stories

OTAMMARI

Africa (Togo and Benin ) population : 150,000

The Otammari people occupy a territory of about 4,800 square Km in the North part of Benin and Togo, a land they call Kutammaaku..

Known also as the Somba people, they used to build unique fortified mud houses (which where recognized as World Heritage by Unesco).

They are divided into six subgroups, each of them has its own name, unique face scarification, and a different way to build the traditional home.

Read  Otammari stories or see photos of Otammari

POKOT

Africa (Kenya and Uganda) Population: 700,000

In Uganda are known as SUK. The Pokot people are part of the Kalenjin tribes grouping. They live in the Baringo and Western Pokot districts of Kenya and also in the Eastern Karamoja region of Uganda.

The Pokots are dived into two main sub-groups: the Hill Pokot who practice both farming and pastoralism, and live in the rainy highlands in the west, and the Plains Pokot who living in dry and infertile plains, herd cows, goats and sheep.

The Pokot society is governed through a series of age grades. A membership to any specific group would be determined by their age: For the men it is usually between the ages of fifteen and twenty, whereas for the women, it is around twelve.

Tororot is considered the supreme god among Pokot. Prayers and offerings are made to him during communal gatherings, including feasts and dances. Such ceremonies are usually presided over by a community elder.

Learn more about Pokot people or read Pokot Stories

RUNDI

Africa (Burundi), Population:  10,000,000

The Language, Known also as Kirundi, is the national language of Burubdi, one of the smallest country in Africa, and one of the poorest in the world.

Agriculture is the largest industry, with coffee, cotton, maize, sorghum and bananas.

Learn more about Burundi, or read Rundi stories

YEYI

Africa (Botswana and Namibia), Population: 45,000

Yeyi  (also known as ShiYeyi) is a Bantu language, spoken in central Botswana (around Maun) along the Okavango river. It is one of few Bantu languages which has ‘Clicks’.

Unfortunately,  only 20% of the population still retain the Yeyi language.

Read  ShiYeyi story

SHUBI

Africa (Tanzania), population: 250,000

The Shubi people, who live along the border of Tanzania and Rwanda, speak a Bantu (Niger-Congo) language.At the past they used to be hunters, but today, the are farmers.

Read Shubi stories

SUKUMA

Africa (Tanzania), Population: 6.000.000

The Sukuma are the largest ethnic group in Tanzania. ‘Sukumaw means “north” and refers to ‘people of the north’. They are relative of the Nyamwezi ethnic group and share the same language. Of Bantu origin.

The Sukuma live in northwestern Tanzania on or near the southern shores of Lake Victoria, on a flat savanna plain. Although the land is Arid, they practice small scale agriculture.

learn more on Sukuma people or read Sukuma stories

THEMNE

Africa (Sierra-Leone), Population: 2,000,000

The language is spoken mostly in the Northern province of Sierra-Leone

Read Themne stories

TOPOSA

Africa (South Sudan), Population: 150,000

The Toposa are the Sudanese relatives of the Turkana (Kenya), Nyangatom (Ethiopia) and Karamojong (Uganda). All speak the same Nilotic language.  and all are  pastorals, traditionally survive from herding cattle, sheep and goats.

Learn more about Toposa people or Read Toposa stories

TUAREG

Africa (Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Algeria, Burkina-Faso), Population: 1,700,000

The Tuareg, an Arabic name to the people who call themselves Imohag (The free men), are nomad people of the Sahara, speak an Afro-Asiatic language called Tamashek (Tamasheq). The Tuareg camels caravans controlled the trade across the Sahara for many centuries.

Learn more about the Tuareg people,  read Tuareg stories, or see Tuareg photos

TUGEN

Africa (Kenya) Population: 150,000

A sub-group of the Kalenjin who live in the western highlands. Traditionally, They used to pray to a God called Asis (‘sun’), but nowadays, most Tugen have converted to Christianity.

Learn more about Tugen people  or read  Tugen Stories

ZINZA

Africa (Tanzania), Population:   140,000

Zinza ethnic group are living on the south-western shores and islands of lake Victoria. For living the combine fishing with agriculture. They cultivate Millet, Maize, Vegetables, Cassava, Cotton and Plantain.

The LONGO and SUBI people are sub-groups of the Zinza, that adopted the zinza language (called Echizinza) . Total speaker of the language are  about 250,000 people.

The Zinza observe strongly the traditional religion, although baptized to the Catholic church.

Learn more on Zinza people or read Zinza stories.

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