The Dar Hamid are a confederation of about nineteen tribes and some smaller sub-groups that share a common culture and are led by a single chief. Although the tribes have different origins, most of their ancestors came from Arabia. One of these 19 subgroups is the Hawawir.
The Dar Hamid dar (territory) is located in northern Sudan. Like other nomadic Arab tribes, the Dar Hamid wander the desert with their herds, searching for vegetation that grows after the rare desert thunderstorms. They have a complex system of migration in which different parts of the family move to different places during certain times of the year.
The Hawawir raise all types of livestock which are traded for grain and other essentials such as salt, tea, sugar, cloth, dates, seasoning, and metal goods. Camels are the most important of their animals. They provide milk, a main diet staple for these nomads, occasional meat, material for tents, and transportation across the desert.
Because the Hawawir are a nomadic people, they live in camps they call dikkas. Their homes are tents made with camel hair roofs and cotton sides. Many of the tents are decorated inside with leather and wool ornaments. The basic item of furniture is a double bed made of palm ribs bound with strips of leather. The bed rests on pegs a foot above the ground. The Hawawir lifestyle dictates that even the tent's decorative ornaments have a practical value. While the Hawawir men move across the desert with their camel herds, the women and children stay in the dikka. The women tend the gardens and the small boys work in the fields, herding house camels and preventing goats and sheep from entering the cultivated land.
Hawawir children are sent to herd animals almost as soon as they can walk. They have been described as shy and reserved, even with each other.
Because life in the desert is very dangerous, all Hawawir men wear sheathed daggers on their left arms. Most carry swords and all carry either shotguns or rifles. They must sleep lightly at night to protect themselves from bandits.
Their main diet consists of tea mixed with camel's milk. If one of them has the good fortune of killing an animal in the desert, they will also have meat. Each man carries a canvas sheet that has many purposes. The canvas can be used as a ground sheet, a tent, a trough for watering animals, or a sling for carrying heavy items such as loads of hay.
In today's world, pasture lands in Sudan don't have enough water to sustain a large number of animals. Diminishing rainfall has destroyed the pastures. This situation is causing conflicts between settled farmers and nomadic herders like the Hawawir. Many of the herdsmen have lost their livestock and have been forced to move from their homes into towns and cities.
Traditionally, the Hawawir are Sunni Muslims. However, most are not religious and know very little about the Islamic religion. One of the five "pillars" of Islam is that a Muslim must pray five times a day. Water is scarce, so the cleansing rituals are either cut short or ignored completely, and they use sand in place of water. Since very few Hawawir are able to read or write, many consider the written word a source of magical power. Fakirs (holy men) make charms and sell them to the Hawawir for cash or livestock.
Clear identification of the various groups in Sudan is difficult since their cultures and lifestyles often overlap. However, most remain proud of their tribal and ethnic identities. Compassionate missionaries who are willing to embrace the Hawawir culture and endure the harsh, nomadic lifestyle are desperately needed. They will probably need to learn how to read as well.
Pray for the Lord to provide for the physical and spiritual needs of the Hawawir people in Sudan.
Pray for workers, filled with the love of the Holy Spirit, to go to the Hawawir people.
Pray for the Hawawir people to crave pure spiritual milk and find it in the Word of God.
Pray for a Holy Spirit directed movement to Christ among the Hawawir people.
Scripture Prayers for the Hawawir in Sudan.
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
Global Prayer Digest: 2008-01-16 |
Global Prayer Digest: 2015-01-27 |
People Name General | Hawawir |
People Name in Country | Hawawir |
Alternate Names | |
Population this Country | 278,000 |
Population all Countries | 278,000 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 6 |
People ID | 12074 |
ROP3 Code | 103740 |
Country | Sudan | ||
Region | Africa, East and Southern | ||
Continent | Africa | ||
10/40 Window | Yes | ||
National Bible Society | Website | ||
Persecution Rank | 10 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | ||
Location in Country | Primarily north Source: Ethnologue 2010 |
Country | Sudan |
Region | Africa, East and Southern |
Continent | Africa |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 10 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Location in Country | Primarily north. Source: Ethnologue 2010 |
Primary Religion: | Islam |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.00 %) |
0.00 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
5.00 %
|
Hinduism |
0.00 %
|
Islam |
95.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.00 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
Primary Language | Arabic, Sudanese Spoken (278,000 speakers) |
Language Code | apd Ethnologue Listing |
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing |
Total Languages | 1 |
Primary Language | Arabic, Sudanese Spoken (278,000 speakers) |
Language Code | apd Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 1 |
People Groups | Speaking Arabic, Sudanese Spoken |
Primary Language: Arabic, Sudanese Spoken
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1927-1964) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1978-2005) |
Bible-Complete | No |
Bible-NT Audio | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Resource Type ▲ | Resource Name | Source |
---|---|---|
Audio Recordings | Arabic Bible Online | Arabic Bible Outreach Ministry |
Audio Recordings | Audio Bible teaching | Global Recordings Network |
Audio Recordings | Online New Testament | Faith Comes by Hearing |
Film / Video | Indigitube.tv Video / Animation | Create International |
Film / Video | Jesus Film: view in Arabic, Sudanese Spoken | Jesus Film Project |
Film / Video | LUMO film of Gospels | Bible Media Group/LUMO |
Film / Video | Story of Jesus for Children | Jesus Film Project |
Film / Video | World Christian Videos | World Christian Videos |
General | Gospel resources links | Scripture Earth |
Mobile App | Download audio Bible app as APK file | Faith Comes by Hearing |
Mobile App | Download audio Bible app from Google Play Store | Faith Comes by Hearing |
Text / Printed Matter | Tools for faith conversations | Campus Crusade for Christ |
Map Source | Bethany World Prayer Center |
Profile Source | Joshua Project |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |