The Chagga Tribe of Kilimanjaro
 | The Chagga are the predominant tribe around Mount Kilimanjaro, and trekkers will encounter Chagga acting as their porters and guides for the trek to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. The Chagga are one of 120 different tribes in Tanzania, whose population is estimated at about 2 million in a country 37 million, forming the third largest ethnic group in Tanzania. |
They are thought to have gradually migrated to the area as banana farmers in the 15th century, displacing smaller and weaker tribes, arriving as a number of independent chiefdoms which vied for supremacy over each other. Even today the Chagga is considered to be comprised of around 400 different clans. The Chagga flourished as farmers with the fertile soil and favorable climate of the region, and traded with the Arab caravans and other adjoining tribes. Many chiefdoms back then had several produce markets largely run by women, just as they are today.
European missionaries were accepted in the region in 1848 and exposed the Chagga to western religion, medicine, education, and the cash crop of coffee was developed to export outside Africa. While many Chagga are Christians, traditional beliefs still play an important part in their lives. For instance, the practice of circumcision has largely been abandoned however polygamy is still commonly practiced.
Largely as a result of their wealth derived from coffee, Chagga today generally have a relatively higher standard of education, and are well represented in the spheres of Tanzanian business and politics, and many work as officials, doctors, or teachers throughout Tanzania, however many Chagga continue to subsist primarily by growing crops and tending some livestock and poultry.
The Chagga have traditionally handed down their farms from one generation to the next and as the population has increased, the farms have become smaller and smaller to the point of not being able to support the entire family. Therefore it is not uncommon today for the Chagga to be a guide one day, farm the next day, and bee keep the day after. The Chagga are known for their sense of enterprise and strong work ethic.
The Chagga have always recognized the mountain as the source of their farming success and the dead are still buried facing the mountain in veneration. It is doubtful the Chagga trekked to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro prior the arrival of the European as their lack of clothing simply prevented it. Today the local economy continues to derive another form of livelihood from Kilimanjaro and that is by escorting tourists to summit the mountain.
The Chagga have mainly adopted western attire although the kanga is very popular with the female gender even as a wrap over western wear. There is a museum of Chagga Culture in the area, and 1-2 day tours of Chagga farms are also available for any party interested in learning more about the Chagga.
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