Another week's gone by in the Saharawi refugee camps, and Jeremy's managed to forget what precious little Hassaniya he had managed to learn. No matter, as Maddy is doing all the talking for the two of us: today she started teaching at the Salam English Center in Samara Camp, while Jeremy walked around passing out cookies and textbooks. It's a shame we can't post pictures here (connection too slow), because to see us dressed up to "go to school" in the morning is to think we were living in Chicago after a blizzard. You simply can't get warm in a winter desert, anyways between the hours of 8 pm and 2 pm. I would kill for a pair of mittens.
Our "host dad" Ahmed is out in the middle of the desert, on the trip to Mauritania that we (as non-visa holding Americans) were unable to embark on ourselves. So, instead of talking to Mauritanians there, we're searching for them here in the camps...believe it or not, the economic situation in Mauritania is so dire that people come here, to refugee camps in SW Algeria, to find work. Taxi-drivers, security guards, petty merchants: good chance the fella is from Mauritania (where Hassaniya is also spoken) and that he is trying to get Saharawi citizenship by "emmigrating" to these refugee camps. Bizarre and beguiling situation.
Earlier today we gave into our cravings and made a batch of brownies. Actually, it was just one brownie, and by brownie, we mean "cake." Sure beats goat, or camel for that matter.
1 comment:
Hi I am doing some research about the Saharawi camps and I was wondering if I could email you? My name is Ailbhe Keogan. I am a writer from Ireland and I recently got back from the camps myself. my address is ailbhe@gmail.com if you would like to make contact,
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