Jola her

The Jola have long inhabited the lowlands of southern Senegal, where they grow rice, and the Her are one of the subgroups of this larger family, distinguished by the Kerak language. Little has been recorded in writing about the specific journey of the Her, and the memory of the people is passed down mainly by the spoken word.

For this reason, what can be said with confidence is what is seen today: established villages in the Ziguinchor region, a life tied to rice and the land, and a distinct identity kept alive from generation to generation. This gap in the books is also an invitation to listen to the Her themselves tell their own story.

The life of the Jola her revolves around farming. Rice is the foundation of their livelihood, alongside peanuts, yams, watermelon and sweet potatoes. Some also draw a fermented drink from the palm trees, palm wine, which is present at gatherings and celebrations. The rhythm of the seasons and the rains sets the calendar of each family.

The community is the ground on which everything rests. Funeral rites hold a place of great importance, since they believe the dead join the ancestors and the Creator, and that honoring them keeps the living and the dead united. Speaking Kerak at home, in the fields and at ceremonies is what keeps the bond between generations strong, along with the sense of belonging to one people.

Islam is the officially predominant religion among the Jola her, but in practice much of the people live a spirituality in which spirits are taken seriously: amulets and sacred objects are used in search of protection, and great attention is given to everything that concerns the ancestors. They also acknowledge a Creator, whom they call Ata Amit.

This faith is not lived in the abstract, but within the family and the village. Rituals accompany death above all, and taking part in them is part of being accepted by the community. For this reason, changing one’s beliefs is rarely an individual decision alone: it touches ties of kinship and loyalty.

The Kerak language is the language of the heart for the Jola her, and it is in Kerak that the people express themselves most truthfully. Bible translation work in this language has begun, but there are still no Scriptures that families can read or hear in their homes.

In the meantime, the Word of God reaches them, when it reaches them at all, in other languages that are not those of their daily life. Every portion translated, recorded or told in Kerak will be a precious step toward the people hearing the gospel in the language of their fathers.

For the Jola her, faith is intertwined with the life of the family and the village. Islam and the practices tied to spirits and ancestors are part of the community identity, so following another path may be seen as turning away from one’s own people. The absence of Scriptures in Kerak and the very small number of evangelical Christians among them mean that many may never have heard a clear and understandable presentation of Jesus.

As small farmers, the Jola her depend on good harvests and on access to markets where they can sell what they produce. There is also a need for the people to be seen and remembered, and not forgotten because they are small.

On the spiritual level, they need to hear the gospel in Kerak, from people who respect their culture, and to find freedom from the fear of spirits. Wherever someone comes to believe, it will be essential that there be community and discipleship, so that faith becomes a way of life and flourishes within their own culture.