-Refugee Camp in the Sahara Desert-
On March 2008, me and some classmates and teachers, along with more people from other schools, began a journey which destination was the Sahara desert, in Algeria.
That journey was part of a solidarity project promoted by a group of teachers. The goal of the trip was to know how Saharan refugees live in the middle of the desert and brought them some food and other things we thought they would need.
We went there for 8 days. We were living in "27 de Febrero" camp but we also stayed in Dahla camp and visited Smara and Rabuni, other refugee camps.
The best way to know their way of living was living together with them, it was, living in their houses and spending the time with them. We made small groups and we were distributed among the different houses.
Me and some of my friends went to a house that was quite good. Our family was very lucky because their purchaising power was better than the one that other families had. We lacked for nothing because they gave us all they had. It is clear that they don't have as many things as we could have so that's why we should value more all they offered to us.
The house didn't have the facilities one can find in Spanish houses, for example. They didn't have neither a toilet nor a shower, or rather, they didn't have a toilet or a shower our houses use to have. There was a latrine instead of a shower and a hose and some washbasins to clean ourselves instead of a shower.
They didn't have chairs, we sat on the floor over a carpet. When we had to eat, they put some small tables and placed the food above them, but we stayed sit on the floor. They don't use culteries, but as they know that we do they lend some to us. The food the woman did was really good. The only problem was the sand the bread contained. They made the bread so it is normal to find sand grains in it but you get used to the sand crunches quickly.
We made some activitities in the different camps we visited. One of the activities we organized was a concert in which each one of the different groups arrived from Spain had to prepare a performance. My group and I prepared a "Batukada", but other ones prepared typical Valencian dances or even a small play. We repeat it in all the camps we visited and Saharans enjoyed a lot with us. They also prepared some performances and showed us their dancing and singing customs.
One of our trips there was to Dahla camp. Dahla is the poorest camp. It is the farest one so there doesn't arrive the food and medical supplies that arrive to the other camps. There is no road to go to there and traveling there is quite difficult and more uncomfortable. It is a 4-hour journey through the desert in old trucks. Dahla it is also hotter than the other camps, so the day we spend there was a bit harder than the other ones.
Being in the desert is an incredible experience. It is nicer than I would have imagined. Although all you can see is an extension of dryness dominated by brown colour, it has something that captivates you. But what I remember with more emotion is seeing the sky in the middle of the night. I could see it completely clear. I have never seen anything like that. I was the most beautiful think I had ever seen and it is something I will never forget.
And, what can I say about Saharans? Only good things. They treated us really good. They are incredible fighters and know exactly what they want: return back to the country that was once grabbed by someone interested in the richness of the place. It is their country and I hope that thay can return there as soon as possible, because live in the desert is something really hard.
I hope I could go back some day, because it had been an experience that I would like to repeat. I encourage all of you to go there and share your time and solidarity with them because seeing how grateful they would be with you for your visit is the best reward one can bring from a journey of this type!
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