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Re: A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan (Re: sentimental)
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Elmosly,
Thnx dear for your precious reply. I will come back to u later after bneing sure if what I thought of is right !! smiles
yassir,
thanx man for this great understanding to our problems. Let us to do a favor for our poeple...happy still
Dear All,
the comming post is basiclly intended to shed some light on the daily life and environment of Dinka and Nuer.
SENTIMENTAL
Geography and climate
Sudan is the largest country in Africa (about ten times the size of the UK). The Dinka and Nuer live in an area about twice the size of the UK, in the band of country that stretches between Zaire in the West and Ethiopia in the East, from around the level where the White Nile is joined by the rivers Bar el Ghazal and Sobat, south to the rising land that borders Uganda and the Central African Republic. The population of southern Sudan is only about 5 million; the same as Scotland. South Sudan is a land of swamps and open savannah. The swamps of southern Sudan are the largest in the world and are formed when the waters of the White Nile and its tributaries flow down from the highlands of Ethiopia, Uganda and the Central African Republic into the low clay basin that forms much of southern Sudan. The swamps swell with the torrential rain that inundates the area between May and September, then recede gradually during the dry season. From this vast reservoir, the White Nile moves sluggishly north on its long journey up towards Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, where it is joined by the Blue Nile, on into Egypt, and eventually to the Mediterranean Sea. The swamps of southern Sudan abound with an enormous variety of birds. Indeed with its big views and huge skies, the whole area is unusually beautiful. The temperature year round is between about 27-45oC. When the temperature drops below 30oC people start to feel cold and put on warm clothes! Because there is no industry in southern Sudan and no cars, the air is clean and clear and smells sweet.
Villagers built these houses ('dwils' or 'tukels') and cattle byres ('luacs') on low 'islands' of sand that sit on the floor of the clay basin that makes up most of the area. Nowhere is this more obvious than around the village of Wichok in Upper Nile Province. This photograph was taken at the end of the rainy season in 1997. Exceptional rains had spoiled the crops making for a very poor harvest. However people only live here now because it is relatively safe from the war. They know it is a difficult place to grow food. Southern Sudan is a land of swamps and open savannah. The swamps are the largest in the world and are formed when the waters of the White Nile and its tributaries flow down from the highlands of Ethiopia, Uganda and the Central African Republic into the low clay basin that forms much of southern Sudan. The swamps swell with the torrential rain that inundates the area between May and September, then recede gradually during the dry season. From this vast reservoir, the White Nile moves sluggishly north on its long journey up towards Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, where it is joined by the Blue Nile, on into Egypt, and eventually to the Mediterranean Sea. The swamps of southern Sudan abound with an enormous variety of birds. Indeed with its big views and huge skies, the whole area is unusually beautiful. Beside the swamps are the open grassy savannahs, interspersed with patches of scrub forest. The unpredictable floods and rains make crop growing during the short wet season a precarious activity, so Dinka and Nuer life is based around livestock, particularly cattle, which they husband with great skill and care.
The Sobat River flows down from the highlands of Ethiopia, and is a major tributary of the White Nile. Once it hits the flat land of Sudan, it becomes sluggish, and many little islands of vegetation float slowly along with it.
A typical year - Livestock
Like many other livestock keeping tribes in Africa, the Dinka and Nuer are 'trans-humant agro-pastoralists'. This means they have a regular, semi-nomadic lifestyle moving between their crop growing village areas in the wet season, and the toic (pronounced toych - the swamps and water-meadows), that provides grazing for their livestock during the dry season. With unpredictable floods and rains, crop growing during the short wet season is a precarious activity, so life is based around livestock. Livestock are central to Dinka and Nuer culture. They provide subsistence food (milk, blood and meat), food reserves when crops fail (meat), and can be bartered for other comestibles (particularly grain); their needs determine human social structure; they are the cause of rights being wronged, and the means by which wrongs are righted; they represent savings; they are the currency of social contracts and the cement of social cohesion. Cattle are their most treasured livestock, but they also keep sheep and goats, some chickens, and in some places, donkeys. They also keep dogs for hunting, security and companionship. From a children's point of view, animals provide food, companionship, social and economic security, and cultural identity. There is one rainy season each year, between May and September, during which time people live in permanent villages. For the rest of the year, most members of the family move with the animals following the new grass which grows on the receding water meadows. The need to find water and grazing for their animals governs life for the Nuer and Dinka. Cattle need to be watered every 1-2 days, sheep and goats every 1-4 days
Boy dusting bullock In the UK, cattle are lucky to live beyond 5-6 years old before they are sent to slaughter. In southern Sudan, they are given much greater care and attention and will live beyond 15 years if war or famine do not interfere. There is a great bond between people and there animals, and young men in particular will spend much time caring for their favourites including singing to them. This boy is dusting his bullock with ash from a cow dung fire to deter insects
Livestock are not routinely killed for food; they are primarily dairy animals. When times are hard, they are also bled. The blood is then usually mixed with milk or grain. This is similar to what used to done in Britain particularly in the times of cattle drovers.
Children often have responsibility for herding the sheep, goats and calves; and may take the opportunity for a quick drink of milk.
thanks... SENTIMENTAL
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العنوان |
الكاتب |
Date |
A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan | sentimental | 08-24-02, 10:06 AM |
Re: A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan | ABDU | 08-24-02, 12:26 PM |
Re: A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan | sentimental | 08-24-02, 01:29 PM |
Re: A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan | Tumadir | 08-24-02, 01:34 PM |
Re: A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan | sentimental | 08-24-02, 01:53 PM |
Re: A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan | sentimental | 08-24-02, 02:04 PM |
Re: A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan | Elmosley | 08-24-02, 02:11 PM |
Re: A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan | Yassir Mahgoub | 08-24-02, 03:12 PM |
Re: A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan | sentimental | 08-25-02, 07:52 AM |
Re: A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan | Elmosley | 08-25-02, 03:32 PM |
Re: A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan | sentimental | 08-25-02, 08:44 AM |
Re: A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan | sentimental | 08-25-02, 01:47 PM |
Re: A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan | sentimental | 08-25-02, 02:27 PM |
Re: A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan | degna | 08-25-02, 02:34 PM |
Re: A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan | sentimental | 08-26-02, 07:52 AM |
Re: A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan | sentimental | 08-28-02, 07:26 AM |
Re: A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan | sentimental | 08-31-02, 01:10 PM |
Re: A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan | Alsawi | 08-31-02, 06:06 PM |
Re: A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan | sentimental | 10-13-02, 07:45 AM |
Re: A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan | sentimental | 12-06-02, 01:17 PM |
Re: A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan | sentimental | 12-21-02, 11:40 AM |
Re: A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan | sentimental | 12-21-02, 11:41 AM |
Re: A study on Dinka of Southern Sudan | sentimental | 12-31-02, 08:55 AM |
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