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‘damanga’ is a large, built-to-last, hand-made vessel used by Sudanese farmers to store crops, lifesaving rations in the event of famine or emergencies, and other valuables. A hut is usually built over the damanga to protect the vessel and its contents from the torrents of water during the rainy season. This unique aspect of Sudanese farmers’ daily life gave birth to the Arabic adage “al-donya Damanka derdogo Beshaish” - the world is like a Damanga, roll it carefully—which means that life is precious and the world filled with danger and risk, so be careful and take it easy or it could be destroyed, (like a fragile damanga that will break if rolled hastily).
Yahya was bom in a small village in Eastern Algeneina, the capital of Darmassaleit. As a child and an adult, he experienced the brutal racism that permeates Sudanese society. He was beaten by his Arab teachers, along with other black students, for speaking his tribal language instead of Arabic. While living in Khartoum he witnessed the practice of kacha, in which black men are forced into cars by Sudanese police and army officers. The men are then sent to prison, made to work as servants, or taken back to their villages.
In 1993 Yahya’s village in western Sudan witnessed the first attacks of the Arab militia raiders. Yahya’s village was completely decimated and most of his relatives, along with other villagers, were killed, raped, or burned alive in their huts.
Although Yahya was studying at the Al-Azhar University of Cairo at the time his village was destroyed, he received word from his parents of their safety. It was at this moment that Yahya realized action needed to be taken to save the black African Sudanese from annihilation at the hands of the Arab militias and Sudanese regime. In the passionate words of Yahya, “let the people of Darfur be protected, safe and free, so as to live like other human beings in peace and dignity.”
Please join the Rappahannock Association for the Arts and the Community in welcoming Mohamed Adam Yahya at 8 p.m. on April 14, as part of the Second Friday at the Library series sponsored by RAAC. Admission is free. For information visit www.raac.org.
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