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Meaning of Dabanga: life is changeable for good or bad

Radio Dabanga is a project of the Radio Darfur Network, a coalition of Sudanese Journalists and international (media) development organizations, supported by a consortium of international donors, humanitarian community organizations and local NGO’s. Radio Dabanga is conceived, operated and facilitated by Press Now in the Netherlands.

Radio Dabanga will broadcast in vernacular languages, so that everyone in Darfur can understand the latest news about Darfur and its population. Programming starts in three local languages and will soon expand to four.

As of 15 November Radio Dabanga is on air, a radio by Darfuri for Darfuri. Starting 1 December, news and information programmes will commence

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Dabanga is a small village near El Fasher (North Darfur). It is also a well in the Wilayat area in South-Darfur 528 mtrs above sealevel. In December 2007 over thousand people were displaced from this area due to insecurity in the area and lack of humanitarian assistance.

The dabanga is also the most important part of a family’s home. Sometimes written “Damanga” or “Dabunga,” it is a large storage vessel used by Sudanese farmers to preserve food. It takes women between three days and a week to build a dabanga, made from mounds of a mixture of clay, water and dried grass, because each layer needs to dry before the next layer can be piled on. After the dabanga is completed, it is left for two weeks to bake in the sun until it is completely dry. When it hardens, the dabanga becomes very heavy and cannot be moved or carried. A hut is usually built over the dabanga so as to protect it from the torrents of water during the rainy seas on.

Dabangas are used to store crops (e.g. maize and corn) to keep them from spoiling, and these provisions can be lifesaving rations in the event of a famine. Farmers sometimes hide their money or other valuables in the bottom.

This unique aspect of Sudanese farmers’ daily life gave birth to the Arabic adage “ Duniya dabanga dardigi bishaish” (”the world is like a Dabanga, roll it carefully”), which essentially means that life is precious and the world is filled with danger and risk, so be careful and take it easy, or it could be destroyed.