The Peulhs

I feel a little weird writing this entry but I have had a few requests to write more about the people and the culture so wanted to share some info I have gathered and observed about one ethnic group in particular. Since I find this tribe so interesting, I've done a little reading in my guide books and asking questions of others around here.

The Peulhs, also called Fulani or Fulfulde, are the second largest ethnic group in Burkina Faso making up 8% of the population. They are very marginalized throughout this country and the region of West Africa though. In Burkina, they make up a majority in the north but also have small villages throughout the rest of the country. The Peulh were the first tribe in West Africa to convert to Islam hundreds of years ago and they spread the religion throughout the area because they traditionally were nomadic herders. Most Peulhs still are cattleherders though many have settled into villages and cities because it is more difficult to move around. The Peulhs sell eggs (when available in rainy season) and milk in the markets. I have been buying Puppy milk from a Peulh girl that stops by my house every few days. He loves it even after it curdles!

On a side note, the name Burkina Faso comes from words in two different languages spoken here: Moore and Jula. The term for people from this country is Burkinabe which comes from Fulfulde, the language spoken by Peulhs.

I have noticed other tribes in Burkina often have only negative comments to make about Peulhs. I've been told that they are too proud and that they are thieves. Since Bissas and Mossis usually are cultivators and Peulhs are animal herders, there often are fights and issues over land use as well. When I was in training, there was a Peulh community in my host village. One day, my friend set down her phone and forgot about it. It was gone when she went back to look a few minutes later and everyone in the village was talking about how the Peulhs had stolen it. No one saw this but the blame was automatically put on them because of the negative stereotypes of this tribe. This is just one example that shows the discrimination they face constantly.

Even though they are viewed negatively by others, Peulh women are renowned for their beauty. They are often lighter skinned and have distinctive facial features along with different style of dress, hair, and jewelry than other tribes in the area. Many women wear large silver coins in their hair and I was told this is a sign of their wealth since each one can cost around $6. Anecdotally I have also noticed that they seem to really love striped shirts! I have posted some pictures from my visit to a village near my home.

I met a missionary family from New Zealand that is living in Tenkodogo. Their work is to convert Peulhs to Christianity which I found interesting since he said there are only about 200 Peulhs that are Christian in the whole country and because they are traditionally Muslim. He and his wife are also working with education and health needs though which is great for this marginalized population.

There is a fairly large population of Peulhs in several small villages in my area. I want to start doing more work with the Peulhs in my community since I feel that our health center is not meeting their needs. They struggle to communicate with the health staff and others in the village since many don't speak Bissa or French. I think they also are often forgotten when there are sensibilizations or other health programs. Since most of their villages are farther away from the health center, it is difficult for them to come in when they are sick especially during rainy season when the route is often unpassable. The Peulh women are less likely to come in to give birth and attend baby weighings at my CSPS as well. On a surprising note, they are more likely to use family planning services from my health center. The rate is still very, very low but I was excited to note this during my Etude. I hope to start doing programs out in the Peulh villages and just received a basic phrase book from Peace Corps so I can at least greet them in their own language.