Dancing to celebrate the newborn baby, chat with Abu Nafe

Aida delivered two babies that week. She was trained as a traditional birth-attendant by a local NGO. She delivered one baby in a family of a wealthy trader, and one in a less affluent family. Early in the morning, she visits both homes as they celebrate the arrival of the newborns. After having a meal with rice and lam's meatat the home of the trader, she passes by the other family and dances a little with the girls.
While dancing, the girls (still young although they are already married) show their braided hair, and fling their head scarf. One girl holds a stick and dances with it as if it were a sword

As she returns home she encounters her uncle (her fathers brother) who is preparing to water the goat and sheep-herd before they leave. She folds some of the cloth that she and Negaz were working on the other day, to make room for spreading another cloth.

This documentary; Aida, lioness amongst Free Lions; is an extensive Visual Ethnography that will comprise several hours of video. It is work in progress. The film was shot from March till July 2006 when this community of Sudanese Rashaayda were still in exile in Eritrea, and part of the armed opposition against the government of Sudan of General Omer Al Bashir. In October 2006 the Rashaayda Free Lions and the the Beja Congress Party (rebelmovements) signed the Eastern Peace Agreement with the government of Sudan.

The film focuses on Aida, who lives in the Rashaayda refugee camp in Al Gerda, near Tesseney in Western Eritrea. Aida succeeds to survive and feed her family within the network of her extended family. She is helped in the process through the relations she maintains with the coordinator of a local NGO: Fuzum, and the leader of the Free Lions rebelmovement: Mabruk Mubarak Saleem.

Fuzum, who is the coordinator of the local NGO: SCPJ, eho id s good friend of Aida, also maintains close relations with Mabruk Mubarak Saleem Al Saeed (State secretary of Transportation, roads and bridges, at present), then the leader of the Free Lions movement, the armed militia of the Rashaayda.

For events that Mabruk organizes to promote the Rashaayda cause and his position as a leader, he needs several traditional tents. By emphasizing and exposing Rashaayda culture he aims to acquire the esteem from other leaders from the Rashaayda qabila and who live in countries like Saudi Arabia, Jemen, Kuwait, Egypt and Libya. Aida is one of the few women in the camp who is still capable to make these traditional artifacts.

Few people still live in traditional tents, as they are heavy and they requires transportation when moving, either by camels or by truck. The Rashaayda staying in this camp, came with nothing..

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Rashaayda
• Sudan
• Eritrea
• Rashaayda women dances
• traditional Bedouin tent
• Rashaida
• veil
• refugees

[miSsBarbieGirl80]

ويييييين هالبدويات من اي بلدد ؟؟؟؟؟

[MetjePostma]

@miSsBarbieGirl80 Hi, These Rashaayda women are from Sudan. Rashaayda originate from Saudi Arabia, but have lived in Africa along the Red Sea since the midst of the 19th century. There are also Rashaayda in Kuweit, Libya and even Palestine.

These women stayed in Eritrea between 1999 and 2006, when their leaders were in conflict with the Sudanese government.

[22majnoon22]

The history of the Islamic empire is rife with the obnoxious slave trading hence the trans Sahara Slave trade, thus the Christian European transatlantic slave trade that claimed millions of Africans who were condemned to lifelong servitude. These are historical crimes which is difficult if not impossible litigate. We do not need to stenotype or apply simplistic generalisation against a particular group of people for such creates grievous social discordance and unnecessary ..

[MetjePostma]

@22majnoon22 It is well known that the Rashaayda were heavily involved in the slave trade, but so were Beja-traders, and as you know, many Northern Sudanese traders, in the past. Indeed these were serious crimes against humanity, as was the involvement of European traders in the slave-trade and I can imagine that for many who have suffered the consequences (and still do) these crimes are unforgivable.

[doktor372]

anakan onta lg pada joged

[xR1singSt4r]

is THAT their house..?!

[MetjePostma]

@Silent3Love I believe you perceive their spirit well...but when you live with the Rashaayda, you'll find life is harsh for them. Moments like this make it better, but the poverty of this family cannot be danced away...

[MetjePostma]

@marmulakebozorg Yes I am aware I am just a khawaja to them, but I would also be khawaja for the Beja. I am not bothered by that. I also acknowledge the position of some of the Beja (especially Hadendowa) towards the Rashaayda. I respect the Rashaayda, I stayed with them over a period of 3 years. But I am interested to learn about the viewpoints of all communities. So I would also very much like to get to know the Beja.

[marmulakebozorg]

@MetjePostma yes they can be very hospitable and will share their last food with you, but remember you are and always will be for them a khawaja, well, I don't have to tell you this do I? You know this. Go and stay with the Beja, and I don't mean study them but live with them and like them for let's say a year on one end, untill some of them really start trusting you and tell you what they really think, than listen what they have to say about the Rashaayda. I'm sure you are aware of this.

[marmulakebozorg]

@22majnoon22 so you are saying that Professor Abdelrahim Salih doesn't know what he is talking about when he discusses the Rashaayda's involvement in the slavetrade????