Oxfam has enlisted traditional women storytellers known as hakamat to help to spread potentially life-saving public health messages in overcrowded camps in Sudan.

A traditional Darfuri singer, known as a hakama, works with Oxfam to sing songs and play music about good health and hygiene in displaced persons camps at Saraf Omra, North Darfur.
Photo: Nicki Bennett/Oxfam

The chanting of a group of brightly dressed women rings out through the little mud-brick homes on Saraf Omra, in Sudan's western Darfur region.

"Here we stand, brooms in hand - everybody working together to keep our community clean," they sing.

Children stop whatever they are doing and run outside to join the fun, their laughter sounding out across the village as the women begin to bang their drums and march through the dusty paths that separate one compound from another.

The hakamat have arrived. These community leaders, who can be found in most traditional villages in the region, are experts in mobilising their people.

"The hakamat are the leaders of the women," Umharif, a hakama of more than 10 years, explains. "We serve the community by mobilising them to do all kinds of collective work. We sing to encourage people during the harvest, or to give people strength when they build a house."

"But for the past few months since we have been working with Oxfam in the camps for Darfur's displaced people, we have been singing about something new - health and hygiene. It's our job to make sure the communities keep their compounds and streets clean. We sing to people to remind them to wash their hands and clothes, to keep their children tidy, to collect garbage and remove dead animals from the camps. As soon as they hear our drums and our chants, people forget the pain and the hard work, and they come together in what we call 'nefir', collective community service."

While Oxfam has years of experience in promoting health and hygiene inside camps and other disaster-affected areas, singing about public health is still new to many of our health promoters.

"I've done hundreds of hygiene trainings in my job, but sometimes lectures or classes or even group discussions are just not the best way of getting a message across," health promoter Shiham says.

"If we can make the activities more appealing through singing and if people remember what we are telling them in a chant, that helps our work a lot."

Every Wednesday, the hakamat begin their march through town. As they literally sweep through the little footpaths of the village, swiping at pieces of plastic and other waste with their short, wooden-branch brooms, the group of women and children grows and grows.

"The women wouldn't dare to stay in their compounds when we come past," Umharif laughs. "We have special songs for people who are lazy or dirty, and we can tease them with these verses if they haven't tidied their compounds."

Umharif insists that it takes a special talent and attitude to be a hakama. "Only the people with the best poetry skills can do the job. You've also got to have good manners and respect in the community - but above all, you have to be a good communicator."

The children, spellbound by the rhythmic chants and drumbeats, leave no doubt about this. "Wash your hands, prevent disease," they chant along softly. "Hygiene will raise our communities."

Today, they may just be songs and melodies, but what the hakamat and Oxfam are hopefully leaving behind in Saraf Omra, with this unique approach to basic hygiene, is a fundamental change in people's attitudes and behaviours on leading a healthier life.

Story by Oxfam's Nicki Bennett.

Over the last two years, two million people in Darfur have been forced to flee their homes to escape ongoing conflict. We are helping them by providing access to clean water, sanitation and basic necessities such as buckets, blankets and clothes. You can help the people of Darfur by donating to our Sudan Crisis Appeal. Call 1800 034 034 or donate securely online at www.oxfam.org.au/donate