Yei - part two - can't leave until an animal is killed in our honor
July 17th……..events over the past few days.
Not quite sure where to begin. First of all, for those of you who don’t know, Adeui is a Sudanese refugee who came to speak at my school about her life as a refugee. I had wanted to go to Sudan to start a school and she was thrilled to hear thaJt and I when she told me she was going to Sudan in July, she asked if I wanted to come and that is how this all came about. She was taken from her parents when she was about 3 and became one of the Lost Boys/Girls of Sudan. She is 22 and was brought to America 5 years ago and is now a student at Brandeis. This week was the first time she saw her mother in 17 years, her father in 20, and she met her younger brother for the first time ever. She is Dinka and we have been staying with her family.
The past few days have been mind-blowing. It is now Monday the 17th and I am in a CRS (Catholic Relief Services) compound. There are torrential rains, but the generator is working, as is the internet. They also have running water and a real toilet which I will dream about for weeks to come. I am meeting with representatives from various NGO’s and creating a network which will me to build and fund the school in Maliek.
I saw an amazing shooting star in the incredible African sky. It was like a fireball and I felt I could touch it. If I was a religious man, I would say that this was a great omen. Since I am not, I will just hope that this is a great omen – or at least a cool thing to see.
I wonder what took me so long to get to the heart of Africa. This world is filled with possibility, hope, suffering, human interaction, and confusion. In southern Sudan it feels like they are at the beginning of a new society – coming out of decades of civil war and just now having the ability to hope for normalcy and progress. Of course, the world progress is always a double-edged sword. They need the simple things like roads, drinking water, food, schools, hospitals. But Southern Sudan is a world in which the traditional cultures are very strong. Where they fought for years to avoid domination by the Moslem north and then imposition of Sharia law. The largest tribe, the Dinka – who lost over a million and a half people during the war – are a tribe where a man can have as many wives as he can afford and the cost of marriage is a dowry of 30 cows. Everything of value seems to be measure in cows. But as S. Sudan opens up to “progress” there will be an influx of western ideas and already the women have begun to talk about equal rights. As it stands right now, a man purchases his bride for 30 cows and she is his forever – it is like slavery in a way. She must cook, clean, raise children, find animals to kill, and so much more. And remember, cooking does not mean putting something in the microwave. All is made from scratch and cooked over a fire. The water must be carried on her head from the river. The water is used for cooking, bathing, washing clothes. All this can only be done by the woman. Men are absolutely forbidden to do this. There is talk of men and women being equal, but I think the men think this means that women can get jobs like men, but I’m not sure they believe that women should give up any of their other tasks.
Other issues include looking for the right technologies and not developing with high pollution ridden factories. Solar energy is a natural here. Will they embrace it as they should?
I have felt like a doctor at the compound with my bacitracin and band aid – the kids line up with their cuts.
Note to self: next time bring tons of band aids and antibiotic cream.
So everyone in the town is aware that I have come to Sudan to try to build a school along the Nile in Maliek. They are greeting me so warmly. Yesterday, I went with the family to church – most were converted to Christianity over the past 100 years – and they invited me to speak in front of the congregation of over a 1000. Adeui spoke first and then I gave a speech which was greeted with incredible enthusiasm.
Walking down the streets I am greeting and am constantly shaking hands. Kids come and yell “Kawage” – white man and shake my hand and touch the hair on my legs and arms.
Went out with one of Adeui’s childhood friends to a “bar” where we – about 10 men – women do not go out with the men – drank beer and they roasted a goat which we ate with our hands. Next thing I knew a chicken was there too……felt like those medieval English scenes……
My body guard has finally left me alone for the day since I am at the compound. He is very overprotective – fearful what will happen to him if the elders find out that I was not taken care of. We went into “town” to get the camera battery charged. There are places that have a few plugs and they charge to charge. I also went for a shave. They use electric razors and it did nothing for my heavy white man beard. He said one side grew back before he finished shaving the other side.
The Dinka do not marry early because they must prove that they are ready and have enough cows. There are many more women than men – due to the years of war. So, many elderly men take on younger wives. Adeui’s father has a 29 year old wife in addition to her mother.
Adeui’s father is an interesting man. He is in charge of wildlife for southern Sudan. He talked to me about the horrors of the wars and made me realize that all the kids in the compound would have been soldiers if this was ten years ago. Almost everyone here was a child soldier – from the age of 7 or 8 , they fought.
My head is spinning with so many thoughts and the excitement of having the school be a small part in this new Sudan.
Aduei is struggling with her new American idea as a women and seeing how it is to be a woman here. I have not seen her very much here since she has been with the woman – working in the kitchen hut. She also washed my clothes. Remember, I am forbidden. It is a bit hard for me, but very difficult for her. The men simply order women around and do not lift a finger. I have coffee brought to me at 10:30 and 3:30, food brought to me clothing washed…….beer………and I CANNOT do anything.
We are going to heading north to Juba over the next few days. We cannot leave until we are properly welcomed into Sudan. That means they must kill some sort of animal in our honor and invite guests to officially greet us. I assume it will be a goat or a cow. Then we head up the Nile to Bor – it takes one day and there are hippos and crocodiles along the way. Also lots of baboons. In Bor will meet with the Minister of Education for the area and then go to Maliek to decide on the site for the school………….Once I leave this area, not sure when the next internet post will come………..But for now, I am loving Africa…………
By the way, I would like to make it clear to all you that the 22 year old Dinka woman Adeui and I are in no way involved. I have gotten some emails asking me this question. If I was in any way involved with her, I would have to immediately give her family 30 cows and marry her. I don’t think that would suit any of us involved in all this. And besides, I’m saving my cows for Baseball playoff tickets.
Not quite sure where to begin. First of all, for those of you who don’t know, Adeui is a Sudanese refugee who came to speak at my school about her life as a refugee. I had wanted to go to Sudan to start a school and she was thrilled to hear thaJt and I when she told me she was going to Sudan in July, she asked if I wanted to come and that is how this all came about. She was taken from her parents when she was about 3 and became one of the Lost Boys/Girls of Sudan. She is 22 and was brought to America 5 years ago and is now a student at Brandeis. This week was the first time she saw her mother in 17 years, her father in 20, and she met her younger brother for the first time ever. She is Dinka and we have been staying with her family.
The past few days have been mind-blowing. It is now Monday the 17th and I am in a CRS (Catholic Relief Services) compound. There are torrential rains, but the generator is working, as is the internet. They also have running water and a real toilet which I will dream about for weeks to come. I am meeting with representatives from various NGO’s and creating a network which will me to build and fund the school in Maliek.
I saw an amazing shooting star in the incredible African sky. It was like a fireball and I felt I could touch it. If I was a religious man, I would say that this was a great omen. Since I am not, I will just hope that this is a great omen – or at least a cool thing to see.
I wonder what took me so long to get to the heart of Africa. This world is filled with possibility, hope, suffering, human interaction, and confusion. In southern Sudan it feels like they are at the beginning of a new society – coming out of decades of civil war and just now having the ability to hope for normalcy and progress. Of course, the world progress is always a double-edged sword. They need the simple things like roads, drinking water, food, schools, hospitals. But Southern Sudan is a world in which the traditional cultures are very strong. Where they fought for years to avoid domination by the Moslem north and then imposition of Sharia law. The largest tribe, the Dinka – who lost over a million and a half people during the war – are a tribe where a man can have as many wives as he can afford and the cost of marriage is a dowry of 30 cows. Everything of value seems to be measure in cows. But as S. Sudan opens up to “progress” there will be an influx of western ideas and already the women have begun to talk about equal rights. As it stands right now, a man purchases his bride for 30 cows and she is his forever – it is like slavery in a way. She must cook, clean, raise children, find animals to kill, and so much more. And remember, cooking does not mean putting something in the microwave. All is made from scratch and cooked over a fire. The water must be carried on her head from the river. The water is used for cooking, bathing, washing clothes. All this can only be done by the woman. Men are absolutely forbidden to do this. There is talk of men and women being equal, but I think the men think this means that women can get jobs like men, but I’m not sure they believe that women should give up any of their other tasks.
Other issues include looking for the right technologies and not developing with high pollution ridden factories. Solar energy is a natural here. Will they embrace it as they should?
I have felt like a doctor at the compound with my bacitracin and band aid – the kids line up with their cuts.
Note to self: next time bring tons of band aids and antibiotic cream.
So everyone in the town is aware that I have come to Sudan to try to build a school along the Nile in Maliek. They are greeting me so warmly. Yesterday, I went with the family to church – most were converted to Christianity over the past 100 years – and they invited me to speak in front of the congregation of over a 1000. Adeui spoke first and then I gave a speech which was greeted with incredible enthusiasm.
Walking down the streets I am greeting and am constantly shaking hands. Kids come and yell “Kawage” – white man and shake my hand and touch the hair on my legs and arms.
Went out with one of Adeui’s childhood friends to a “bar” where we – about 10 men – women do not go out with the men – drank beer and they roasted a goat which we ate with our hands. Next thing I knew a chicken was there too……felt like those medieval English scenes……
My body guard has finally left me alone for the day since I am at the compound. He is very overprotective – fearful what will happen to him if the elders find out that I was not taken care of. We went into “town” to get the camera battery charged. There are places that have a few plugs and they charge to charge. I also went for a shave. They use electric razors and it did nothing for my heavy white man beard. He said one side grew back before he finished shaving the other side.
The Dinka do not marry early because they must prove that they are ready and have enough cows. There are many more women than men – due to the years of war. So, many elderly men take on younger wives. Adeui’s father has a 29 year old wife in addition to her mother.
Adeui’s father is an interesting man. He is in charge of wildlife for southern Sudan. He talked to me about the horrors of the wars and made me realize that all the kids in the compound would have been soldiers if this was ten years ago. Almost everyone here was a child soldier – from the age of 7 or 8 , they fought.
My head is spinning with so many thoughts and the excitement of having the school be a small part in this new Sudan.
Aduei is struggling with her new American idea as a women and seeing how it is to be a woman here. I have not seen her very much here since she has been with the woman – working in the kitchen hut. She also washed my clothes. Remember, I am forbidden. It is a bit hard for me, but very difficult for her. The men simply order women around and do not lift a finger. I have coffee brought to me at 10:30 and 3:30, food brought to me clothing washed…….beer………and I CANNOT do anything.
We are going to heading north to Juba over the next few days. We cannot leave until we are properly welcomed into Sudan. That means they must kill some sort of animal in our honor and invite guests to officially greet us. I assume it will be a goat or a cow. Then we head up the Nile to Bor – it takes one day and there are hippos and crocodiles along the way. Also lots of baboons. In Bor will meet with the Minister of Education for the area and then go to Maliek to decide on the site for the school………….Once I leave this area, not sure when the next internet post will come………..But for now, I am loving Africa…………
By the way, I would like to make it clear to all you that the 22 year old Dinka woman Adeui and I are in no way involved. I have gotten some emails asking me this question. If I was in any way involved with her, I would have to immediately give her family 30 cows and marry her. I don’t think that would suit any of us involved in all this. And besides, I’m saving my cows for Baseball playoff tickets.
posted by Charly at 8:00 AM
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