Two US diplomats in Khartoum applaud women tea servers
May 22, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – Two female diplomats at the United States embassy in Khartoum have posted a video message expressing sympathy with the Sudanese women who serve tea on the streets.
“Carrie, Jennie, and everyone at U.S. Embassy Khartoum congratulate the entrepreneurial women who serve tea along the Nile and businesswomen throughout Sudan,” they said in a short written message released with the video.
“Research shows that societies are more prosperous, stable, and secure when women are safe and empowered, so we applaud efforts to increase women’s access to education, technology, capital, justice, and leadership opportunities. Cheers and thank you for all the delicious tea,” the two diplomats added.
The message of the American diplomats coincides with a campaign carried out by the local authorities in Sudan’s twin capital of Omdurman on Thursday against women serving tea on the streets under claims of “combating negative phenomenon”.
Women who sell tea on the streets were forced by the absence of the breadwinner due to civil war or domestic migration from the countryside to the cities which was caused by drought.
The profession became their only source of livelihood especially as the country faces increasing economic hardships.
ACTIVISTS CELBRATE TEA SELLERS
Activists and various sectors of the Sudanese society also express solidarity and sympathy women who sell tea on the streets.
Last week, in a big gathering of ordinary people, the “Emergency Clinic” Youth Initiative celebrated the opening of the new Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the children’s hospital in Omdurman.
Um Gisma, a woman who serves tea on the street, cut the ribbon giving a start of the ICU to provide help for children who suffer from cancer and bedded in the hospital.
Members of the initiative explained that the costs of the ICU, amounting to 2.6 million (SDG) ($435,880) were raised by voluntary work and fundraising campaigns. The unit is equipped with the latest monitoring capabilities, to treat seven emergency cases a day.
Um Gisma then has been known as the Godmother of the Emergency Clinic Initiative. Thus, the initiative decided to award her the honour of opening the new ICU instead of the minister of health.
Although large segments of Sudanese applauded the move, the publisher of the Al-Meghar al-Siasi daily newspaper, al-Hindi Izz al-Din, attacked it saying the youth group should have invited the minister of health to inaugurate the ICU instead of Um Gisma.
His column drew a tidal wave of criticism on the social media prompting several activists to launch a boycott campaign against purchase of his newspaper.
However, a leading figure at the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and former minister of social welfare, Amira al-Fadil, has expressed support to the tea sellers and the youth initiative.
“I am impressed with the initiative and with the youth who stood behind it. Tea sellers are women who seek to seek to gain Halal livelihood and each of them have a family to support,” she said in a statement on Friday.
“Tea sellers are victims of our political, economic and social problems and they are in need for our help and protection. We have to organize and develop their profession,” al-Fadil added.
The former minister said she drew this conclusion after conducting studies including 10.000 women tea server in Khartoum state.
(ST)