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| February 6, 2009 |
Darfur Archives
I love it here. I was drinking tea in the market place with the Oumda Zaghawa. By his side was the head of the youth group -a very sharp young man who spoke openly. Such a good thing. People here are mentoring the young.A (Masalit) man gave me a Masalit hijab- said to be the most potent kind!!! So-I'm very well protected.
I'm learning about the different tribes. Many customs/traditions are the same but as many differ. Of course everyone speaks a different language, especially the elderly people do not speak Arabic, so we scramble to find interpreters- so far have (mostly) been very lucky indeed.
Today the Bourgo Tribe came to us. The chief and a very old woman told us the history of the tribe, the people sang, danced the dance for all occasions, and they showed us how the Marabou (Koranic teachers) teach the Koran to young boys. A woman Oumda was there, the only woman Oumda in the camp, and she said the girls also are taught to read the Koran. Men and women displayed:baskets, pots, odd shaped sticks and farm tools, all brought with them from Darfur. They explained what each was used for. Their dancing isn't like the Masalit or the Fur. They don't jump but sort of slide. The Zaghawa don't jump either. The latter dress very differently too-much more Arab in attire, and they are herders and keep camels.
We met with a Fur man born in 1910. He told us when he was a boy times were such that a person could bring his cattle out and leave them in the bushes untended all day. Then, in the evening the animals would all return home by themselves. And "they rubbed against you and licked you because they loved you".
A Masalit man explained there are many ways of winding the 'ima'--or turban. Young men, old men, men from different tribes, religious men-all different wraps and various lengths of 'ima' are required. . Interesting.
Tomorrow we will talk to more Fur. I have written out a schedule-different tribes are booked for every day until we have to leave.
Sunday we can't go to the camp but will walk over to the IDP camps; Habile 1,2,3, and 4.