Lahawin

The Lahawin descend from Arabs who migrated westward toward Sudan between the 12th and 13th centuries, joining local peoples and forming, over the centuries, the groups known today as the Baggara, the cattle herding Arabs. Settling in the lands watered by the Atbara River in northern Sudan, they developed a pastoral way of life adapted to the region's dry climate, alternating between cattle raising and subsistence farming according to the seasons of the year. This combination of herding and seasonal farming, passed down through generations, still shapes the people's identity and organizes their families' calendar today.

Lahawin life follows the rhythm of the seasons: in the dry period, herds are taken to lands closer to the river, and in the rainy season they return to the open pastures of the north. Before setting out, it is common to plant sorghum, sesame, millet and beans, which will be harvested only upon return, ensuring food for when families are back with the cattle.

Not everyone follows this full migration: some of the people have already settled in farming communities or small towns, combining crop growing with raising cattle, goats and sheep as the basis of their livelihood. The milk and meat of the herds provide much of the daily diet, and cattle hides are still used to make clothing and tents among families most tied to seasonal movement.

The Lahawin are deeply devoted to Islam, which shapes not only religious practice but the people’s very identity: virtually all families identify as Muslim. To be Lahawin is, in practice, to be Muslim, a condition inherited since their Arab ancestors converted to Islam back in the 13th century. Faith and belonging to clan and family blend together, and it is rarely lived as an individual choice separate from inherited tradition.

This fusion of religion and ethnic identity means any message presented as an alternative to Islam is met with suspicion, not out of personal hostility, but because abandoning the faith feels like abandoning one’s own people and breaking with generations of shared history.

The heart language of the Lahawin is Sudanese Arabic, which already has the complete New Testament, along with audio recordings and the Jesus film available for those with limited access to reading. The complete Bible, however, has not yet been translated into this variant of Arabic.

Even with these resources existing, the nomadic life and distance from cities make it difficult for them to reach families scattered across the countryside and along the banks of the Atbara River, where access to any Christian content remains rare.

To be Lahawin is to be Muslim: the Islamic faith is intertwined with family and clan honor, and anyone who turns to Jesus risks being seen as a traitor to their own people. The nomadic way of life, with constant movement between dry and rainy season pastures, makes any prolonged contact with someone who could speak of Christ rare, and the distance from cities deepens this isolation.

Constant movement between dry and rainy season pastures leaves Lahawin families far from schools, health services and any established Christian community. When the men leave to work in other countries for a year or two, women and children alone take on providing for and caring for the home, often without outside support. There is a real need for a close, lasting presence, for practical everyday help, and for someone willing to walk alongside these families during the time the men are away.