Reflections on a visit to Northern Sudan
Whilst Bee Abroad project managers have a lot of hard work to complete on their in-country assessments, they also get the opportunity to work with beekeepers with different cultural backgrounds. Pam Gregory has been writing about her recent trip to Northern Sudan, and shared these reflections.
On a personal level the trip was fascinating – and very different to sub-Saharan Africa which I have visited often. Accommodation was in a traditional Nubian house with mud walls and a flat roof of mud on palm leaves raised up on huge date trunk so the desert breeze blew a welcome coolness through the building and chattering sparrows flew in and out all day. And at night the desert sky was magnificent and full of stars.
The women had wonderful traditional skills and enjoyed the basic cosmetic making training that Pam ran with Sabah Abdelwahad, her guide and interpreter. The cosmetic/ medicinal beauty, skin and hair lotions has great economic potential and would make the most of these wonderful skills. In turn, Pam enjoyed having her hands and feet hennaed after Friday mosque – and which grew great admiration from all who saw it.
Food was delicious, rather Mediterranean in style and served in bowls on huge round trays where everyone sat and shared. Delicious salads, ripe tomatoes accompanied different bean, meat or egg dishes, and one time we had roasted dove that everyone keeps, often in traditional round dovecotes. Food was served with different breads types of bread used to scoop up morsels from the dishes - with fresh fruit and mint tea to follow. My efforts at eating the equivalent of beans on toast from a communal bowl with my fingers while trying politely not to drip it all down my shalwa kamise occasioned much hilarity.
