Friday, March 18, 2016

#DAY001


Living in Sudan is a very hard context to digest, especially for the ones that were raised somewhere else, as I grew up I never thought of Sudan being the start of my career nor even a place for me to live for longer than those 4/5 years of university, I was always persuaded by the idea of immigration to Europe for a Master degree or a career. But here I am dictating my journey in Sudan, the journey that will make me a stronger person. 

Each day has its own lesson over here, you guys have no idea how grateful we should be for the blessings we have. The number of deprived communities in Sudan brings big sorrow to my heart and greave for the lost chances of having future doctors, engineers, scientist, politicians and many others. These children has no access to basic education, adequate health facilities and clean water. From the age of five when we all went to kindergarten they started grazing, growing up in a nomad tribe, moving from place to place but in reality you are still at the same place, no development, no change and no urbanisation anywhere to be added to your new homes as you move around. 
A very well known tribe in the east of Sudan, Hadandwa, this one lives scattered and very far from the few services that could be provided in their region. In a monitoring visit to a village mainly occupied by this tribe, GOZ RAJAB, about 150 km from kassala through the dessert. On the way all what i was thinking about is that no way on god’s earth someone could live this far, and suprisely upon our arrival they all came near the car and started welcoming us, and thanking us as they were already informed that unicef has funded the government to dig a water source for this village. Most of them named Mohmed Tahir, we finally found the one we wanted to address took us around and showed us the progress that wasn't a real progress of the implemented programs in the area, then I asked where are the houses? He answered I will take you there. We all got into the car and the drive was so long about 7 to 9 km from the water source, health facility and the schools. their house made out of local materials, very weak and vulnerable just like the life they are living, I asked why you live so far from the services?? He said I never felt that these services were made for me, I have always lived here why didn't they built these facilities close to me ?? 
I took time to think before I answer, then I said, there are others on the other side living 10 km away as well this was the centre close to all of you, why cant you all come and live together next to the services. He answered with the smile this is were I was born and with or without services we will survive, its ALLAH’s will. 
My heart cracked at that moment, I have never seen such faith in someone who has very few but still admires every aspect of live. 

Sadly we grew up in greed, always wanting more looking out to the things we don't have, dreaming about being in a better place without being thankful of where we are now. Maybe its time to start counting our blessings and charge our faith. 

And my heart is still healing with the smile I saw in Mohamed Tahir’s little girl :) 





  

Monday, February 29, 2016

Shall we begin ???

Hi, I am a youth sudanese women, volunteer with the united nations supporting unicef in sudan. I was born and raised elsewhere, family circumstances made my family and I move back to Sudan, Where I had no intention to spend extra time that we had previously planned, but you always get betrayed by the reality, so right now I am on my sixth plan B , yes number SIX !!!  
 
Anyways this will be My journal, starting from 29th of February, I have decided to dictate my 100 first days in my assignment at Kassala,Sudan with unicef as the youngest staff ever to join this UN agency. 
 
For those whom will question the reason why I am doing this? the first reason is document my progress which I am sure that will be obvious, I am not saying that all 100 days will be pink and full with joy, I am not a robot !!! actually this writing initiative was a suggestion from a dear friend whom I called on a day where I was very very down, he told me you to write it will make you feel. we will see if that will, until so I am will keep making your timelines busy with my blog posts update. 
 
Also another point to be cleared out, my family whom I moved with back to Sudan, is currently living outside the country and I am left all by my self. Living alone maybe a very sad context to narrate, but this loneliness has been the great motivation to prove to the world and myself that I am capable of achieving not only progress in my social and economic status but also personality wise, I found myself growing up everyday, adding more and more experience on how to handle every little thing in my life starting from what to have for launch and ending by how to deal more upgraded things. 
 
HERE WE GO!!!!