The women are responsible for cultivating these small vegetable gardens. They also gather wild grasses, seeds, berries, and other fruits. Small groups of women set out for journeys that last about a month, taking with them all that is necessary for their gathering expedition. They sleep under shelters built from branches and bundles of grass. After the gathering is complete, the various grains are stored in earthen jars, for cereals are not mixed within the same granary. In addition to the products gathered by the women, the Zaghawa may also gather honey, certain leaves, and locusts for consumption.


The Zaghawa inhabit a territory that consists mainly of grassy stretches and plateaus with deep gullies; desert surrounds them to the North, East, and West. Rainfall, though sometimes inadequate, provides the Zaghawa with fairly dense vegetation, since the water can seep quickly into the sandy soil. The adoption of Islam, which was introduced into the region in the 1600s, contributed to the weakening of the Zaghawa clan system.

The Zaghawa of Sudan 
The Zaghawa are scattered throughout the African countries of Sudan, Chad and Niger. Also called the Beri, the Sudanese Zaghawa are a semi-nomadic tribe that is found living primarily along the border between Sudan
and Chad. Numbering approximately 171,000, they are a camel and cattle herding group who also engage in a fair amount of agriculture. 

They refer to themselves as the Beri, while the name Zaghawa was given to them by the nearby Arab peoples, and became more well-known. They have their own language, which is also called Zaghawa, and the breed of sheep that they herd is called Zaghawa.



The Zaghawa are an ancient society that dates back to the seventh century. During that time, they had their
own kingdom ruled by chieftans and divided into strict social classes and family clans. The various clusters of Zaghawa tribes are still divided into clans, yet the development of the nations of Sudan, Chad and Niger
has weakened the chiefs and the overall Zaghawa social system. 



Villages have become hospitable to outsiders, and sacrifice and ancestor worship have either been abandoned or modified and reinterpreted in order to be acceptable to Islam. Although Islam is widely accepted and the study of Islamic law is highly respected, the Zaghawa still hang on to many of their traditional superstitions. To avoid the curse of the “evil eye,” a rather vague yet terrifying phenomenon, they wear charms, construct their houses in a certain fashion and cover their babies’ faces in public.