With a creamy and steamy cup of sweet Yemeni tea in hand, I sit in my regular chair at the local tea shop in the Old City of Sana’a overlooking the crowded “saila ”. Sixteen months ago, I was in this same chair writing about my first month in Yemen; and here I am again in the same spot, trying hard to grasp the fact that my mission has come to an end in what I can only describe as a blink of an eye.
Despite the fact that I have been keeping a regular personal diary about my life here in Yemen, it is still not easy to put my experience in this fascinating country into words. So, while reading through this keep in mind that life in Yemen is far more intriguing and absorbing than what my writing is about to describe.
I thought I knew what to expect when I arrived to Sana’a in August 2009; but I was wrong. Yemen is definitely a country with a lot of secrets and wonders that never failed to amaze me. Personally, I think that one of the main marvels of Yemen is the Old City of Sana’a. I was lucky enough to find a traditional house to live in and experience the daily life with the people of the Old City.
With its dynamic market places, narrow streets and unique historic architecture, the Old City of Sana’a is certainly the pumping heart of the capital of Yemen. In spite of my Arab features, I was always taken for a foreigner and hence greeted with the usual “Hello! Welcome to Yemen!” from children playing in the small alleys and shop vendors. With time, I developed valuable friendships with some shop keepers and children, who finally replaced their English greeting with “Salamu Aleikum!”
In addition to my appealing life in the Old City, I had the opportunity to travel throughout Yemen and see more of it. My trips around the country were always exhilarating, due to Yemen’s endless and diverse natural beauty that ranges from the rough terrains of Sana’a, Hajja and Mahweet to the yellow deserts and palm trees of Hadramouth, to the exotic beaches of Aden, Abyan and Soccotra.
Of course, any life experience has its ups and downs. Initially, settling down in Yemen was not effortless, especially that my arrival coincided with the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, during which everything in Yemen operates after sunset rather than during the day. I also found that being a woman in Yemen is not easy, as I’ve always attracted unwanted attention by walking down the street, in what people describe as “western” or “non-traditional” attire combined with my Arab features. Nevertheless, over time, I got used to the stares and questionable expressions on people’s faces and it ceased to bother me while I ran my daily errands around Sana’a.
Other challenges that came with living in Yemen, and especially the Old City, included periodic water/power cuts and noisy neighborhoods. Yet, it would take only one act of kindness from genuinely good people to erase any annoyances; and I have met a great deal of such good Yemenis.
My mission in Yemen with CARE International naturally added a lot to my professional and personal experience.
I was appointed with CARE International’s County Office in Sana’a by CARE Netherlands, with Dutch funding , to design and apply capacity building activities for local civil society organizations on gender and development. My work also entailed capacity building for existing CARE partners like the Yemen Women's Union (YWU) and CARE staff in all field offices. The time I spent training, planning and visiting project sites around the country, enhanced my observation, communication, critical and analytical skills. My knowledge about gender and social relations, roles and images between and of men and women in Yemen, the Middle East and the world has undeniably intensified.
Unfortunately, the global media usually portrays Yemen in a negative manner, focusing only on internal conflicts, wars and attacks on foreign targets around the country. The media tends to forget the humanity, generosity and endless hospitality of the people of Yemen. In fact, the simple human face of Yemenis, who have throughout the course of history fought to lead normal lives and preserve their heritage and culture, is ignored.
I was lucky to see this true human face in every Yemeni boy, girl, man and woman. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to live and experience Yemen at its fullest and I would never change a single thing about these past 16 months and 480 days.
Maybe I will just make one addition and have another cup of the sweet Yemeni tea!
Sana’a
December 2010
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