Shots Fired!

Ok it wasn’t at me or anyone in particular but it sounds dramatic doesn’t it. In the last couple of weeks I been able to join some teams and head out to the field to see the real Darfur. It has been a little surreal to see the pictures that are on the news about Darfur right in front of you. As we drove to the villages that we are working in we pass those that have been abandoned or burned to the ground. At times it is overwhelming when I think about the fear and terror that people must have experienced to make them leave their homes and land and seek out more secure locations for them to camp in until it is safe for them to return.
Almost the same day that I arrived in Darfur, a village that we had been doing food distributions in was attacked and burned. Who did the attacking is such a complicated question that I won’t even begin to get into it now. But yesterday we decided to try to enter that village and see who is there and what is left of the village that once held 5,000 people. So as we started to approach the site we slowed to a crawl turned on our hazard lights and cautiously entered the village. As we started to approach a group we heard two gun shots which brought our vehicles to a stop. But it soon became apparent that the shots were coming from a group of women who where celebrating. So today’s Darfur adventure was not going to be as exciting as I had thought. A group of men approached us smiling and welcoming us which we thought was a good sign – even after the gun shots.They invited us to join them under a tree to meet with them and discuss their situation. The group gathered, AK47’s and all, and told us that just in the last couple of days lorries had been bringing back families and their belonging to the village to start again. We were the first NGO that they had seen since the village burned and were happy to hear that we will try to bring food and shelter back to help them.

It was encouraging to see families return and hear that more are on their way however I also know that there are just as many leaving their homes as returning to them. There seems to be this ever changing movement of people from one area to another as they try to stay out of harm’s way. As the rainy season approaches this means that another crop will not be planted which results in another year of food rations and assistance from Aid organizations. Please continue to pray for Darfur. I know that it comes and goes in the media spot light but I promise that the terror and conflict continue.

White Girls Can't Dance

A lot has happened this week but it just didn’t seem to make it onto my blog. It began with the wedding which I have now found out that actually they are not married yet. I guess it was the beginning of the engagement. In four months the bride will move into the groom’s house and I guess that’s when they are really married. I don’t understand the whole process. Communication is a challenge so often you just have to wait and see what happens before you actually figure things out. But the party was very interesting. We arrived and joined a large group of people gathered around a large open space. As most things are in this country one side was for the women and children and the other was for the men. So we were ushered by our new friends that we made at the henna party to some chairs at the front. We were the only white faces in the crowd which drew more attention to us than I am comfortable with. Once and a while music would start which consisted of an electric keyboard and someone singing. This would trigger a slow trickle of people into the open area to begin the dancing. One thing that is very obvious about this culture is that they love to dance. It basically consists of conservative side steps with their arms in the air snapping their fingers. So the girls would grab my hand and give me little option but to join them in the dancing circle. I was feeling awkward enough being the only white girl that can’t dance in the circle but then the ‘photographer’ for the wedding gets right into the center of the circle in front of me to take my picture. It was probably one of the most awkward experiences in my life. I was hoping and waiting for the bride and groom to arrive to take the attention off of me.

The bride and groom did eventually arrive in little taxi’s that were driven right into the center of the circle. Then the party really started. The crowds poured in and surrounded the taxi’s as they snapped, danced and hollered. Then the bride and groom were lifted onto people’s shoulders and paraded around the circle. It was a bit like being in the middle of a huge mob. People pushed and shoved and there was very little room to breath or move. Our friends that were with us tried to keep people away from us and give us space but it was rather futile. So after taking a few pictures and congratulating the bride and groom we fought our way out of the crowd. However, once we got out of the crowd we realized that we were once again the center of attention. We had a following of about 20 children and 10 men wherever we went. Everyone wants to talk to you, touch you and just stand there and stare. Realizing that the situation was not going to get any easier we quickly found the rest of our party and left. This is something that I find very difficult to get used to. It seems rather normal for me now to have everyone at least glance at me when I walk down the street or to have something yelled out in my direction, but it’s in a large group like the wedding that things are just a little too intense for me. But the party was fun while it lasted.