Bua

The written history of the Bua is poorly documented, and much of what is known comes from the people's own memory and from scattered regional records. Theirs is the only language they speak, and it sustains the continuity of Bua identity across generations.

An important milestone came in the early twentieth century, when the Bua were forced to convert to Islam. That influence left lasting marks, but it did not completely erase the older beliefs of the ancestors. To this day the spiritual life of the people bears traces of that passage, in which the new was added to what already existed, without entirely replacing it.

Traditionally, many Bua make their living raising camels, goats, cattle and sheep, moving in search of water and grazing land. Others lead a settled life and farm the land for their own subsistence, depending on the rains. Cotton has a special place, as it is the main crop they bring to market.

Drought years bring loss of livestock and hunger, and life demands great resilience. Most children do not attend school and from an early age accompany their parents at work, learning day by day how to care for the animals and the land. The family is the center of this shared life, and cooperation among relatives is what sustains the people in hard times.

Most of the Bua follow traditional ethnic religions, in which the spiritual world is close and present in daily life, in the cycles of rain, herd and harvest. A smaller portion identify as Muslim, a legacy of the forced conversion of the last century.

In practice, many live a blended faith, in which Islam coexists with ancestral customs. Christians among them are very few, a tiny fraction of the people. Respecting this spirituality, without caricature, is the starting point for any honest conversation about faith.

The Bible is not yet available in writing in the Bua language, but translation work has begun and is ongoing. In the meantime, there are audio recordings in the language, designed for basic teaching of the Bible stories. For a people among whom many have not attended school, audio is the most natural path: the Word can be heard at home, around the fire, in the language of the heart.

The Bua live in an isolated region, and nomadism makes continuous contact with any faith community difficult. The mixture of Islam and traditional religion makes the spiritual path complex and bound up with the identity of the people. There are very few Christians among them, and a written Scripture that has not yet been completed. Low levels of schooling make access to printed materials even harder, and the dispersion of families between pastures and villages calls for patient and close forms of outreach.

The Bua need basic conditions to sustain their families: water, pasture, secure harvests and ways to face the years of drought. There is also a need for schools, so that children may have a different future, and for access to health care.

On the spiritual level, the people need to hear clearly and understandably who Jesus is, in their own language, and to have the opportunity to form communities that follow Christ without abandoning their culture.

There are audio recordings in the Bua language, and the written translation of the Bible is already underway. In addition, there is some contact between the Bua and Chadian Christians who serve as government employees in the region, a natural bridge for the gospel to arrive up close, through people of the same nation.