ACT Alliance

Among the Rizegat, education is key for young people.

Photo: John Birchenough

By John Birchenough

Despite the harsh realities of life in south Darfur, it is education that the members of the Arab nomadic tribe the Rizegat place high on their list of concerns.

Thirty years ago, a Rizegat sub-tribe came to south Darfur after a drought forced the tribe to go searching for fresh grazing and water. But in south Darfur many of their animals perished because of drought and disease. In the old days the Rizegat had camels. Since losing them, they were left with only goats, sheep and a few cows.

Their settlement, called a damra in Arabic, consists of about 1400 households although the number fluctuates. The Rizegat are assisted by the ACT-Caritas Darfur programme.

To questions about whether life has changed much over the years, members of the tribe say their concerns about change specifically relate to education. “Our fathers did not push us to educate ourselves,” they say. “The children used to spend their time in the wadi (dry riverbeds).”

Since the arrival of international aid agencies five years ago, people have realized how important it is for their children to be educated. “So today we are encouraging our children to go to school.

“Life is also more difficult today. Before, you could easily pick up your stick, take your goat or a sheep and walk to market in El Fashir, for example. Today there is more insecurity and movement is more difficult.”

Men today work as cattle drovers or in cattle markets in towns like Nyala as mediators between buyers and sellers of cattle. Others go and look for work further away, even as far as Egypt and Libya. Women go out to collect firewood to sell.

An opportunity for the children to study
The tribesmen say it is not always easy to find assistance for the most at-risk people such as the elderly who are without work. The government is not always able to fulfill people’s needs quickly.

When the leaders of the sub-tribe heard that international organisations had come to Darfur to help, they went to the United Nations which gave them a list of aid organisations. On that list was ACT member, Norwegian Church Aid, which provided them jerry cans and shelter material.

A local organisation has built the community two classrooms, and the community itself contributed two classrooms. The classrooms are built of local materials that need to be replaced every eight months or so but at least it is an opportunity for the children to study.

“People can lose riches, but they can’t lose their knowledge. If they have an education there is always a future for them, that is why we want to invest in a better future for our children through improving their education environment,” one of the tribesmen says.

They want the traditional way of learning at the khalwa (religious schools) developed, and want to endorse principles of learning for all - old and young - that promote culture, spiritual values and address global changes.

People in their area - Rizegat, Fur, Birgit and Zaghawa - try to live peacefully. “The problems that all communities and tribes face are with criminality. There needs to be respect for the law and justice which people need to put before tribal considerations,” one of the men says.

“We expect a peaceful life again one day but we need to be honest in dealing with problems, honest within our own and with other communities and honest with each other.”

With these parting words, the men express thanks for the ACT assistance received and depart back to their lives in the damra and hopefully a more secure future for their children.

ACT in Darfur
After an initial six month start-up phase in 2004, the ACT-Caritas Darfur programme has matured into a humanitarian organisation that in 2009 offered services and humanitarian support to around 300,000 people in south and west Darfur. The NCA component of the programme has over 400 national and 18 international staff and has a close partnership with the Sudanese members of ACT and Caritas, Sudanaid and Sudan Council of Churches.