Living in relative isolation on the savannah plains north of the wide Chari River, the Fania are very proud of their identity. They are said to be related to the Bua, their cousins on the other side of the Chari River. But unlike the Bua, who are great fishers, the Fania are known for their hunting skills.

The elders of the villages remember the time when the wild animals were so plentiful, one could almost walk up to an antelope and catch it with bare hands. But now, because of the revolutionary changes which have affected the nation, it is impossible for the Fania to live off the wild game they hunt. They have had to resort to farming millet and raising chickens to supplement their diet. Even now, when a Fania farmer working in his field hears the yelp of a jackal or the snort of a warthog, he will want to drop his planting sabre and pick up his hunting spear.