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| Ali Madhi, National Director of SOS Sudan. |
May 17, 2011: Ali Mahdi, the National Director of SOS Children's Villages in Sudan, is also a renowned actor and theatre director. Last year he was co-winner of the 2010 UNESCO prize for Arab Culture as well as the main winner of the Freedom to Create prize for bringing drama performances to the frontline. He and his theatre troupe donated both prizes to helping build a medical center in Darfur that will offer medical care and creative arts-based therapy for women and children.
Mahdi and his group stage plays in war-torn regions to bring peace and reconciliation to society, including child soldiers and people living in refugee camps. In 2010 he spoke to BBC reporter Zeinab Badawi in Khartoum about his humanitarian work. Here’s what he said, in his own words.
Drama Helps Build Bridges and Solve Conflict in Sudan
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| Portrait of a child soldier from Sudan. |
I believe in the transformative power of arts. In 2004 I founded the Al-Buqaa Theatre, part of the Center for Theatre in Conflict Zones in Khartoum. My group travels around conflict zones in Sudan and stages plays performed by child soldiers and war orphans based on Sudanese cultural heritage. It may be hard to imagine theatre in a country like Sudan, where war waged for decades between north and south and still continues among rebel groups.
Our theatre effort began after the opening of the SOS Children's Village in Malakal, the capital city of Upper Nile State in the soon-to-be independent country of South Sudan (scheduled to take place July 9). I noticed children hanging around the city market looking for food. They were defiant and prone to violence over a few words.
Mama Mariam, a woman who used to cook fish for me in her stall, told me their story. These were child soldiers, ages 12 to 17, from neighboring countries. Recruited by force during the conflict, they were stranded in Malakal after demobilization. I patiently sat with them. They would not meet my eyes, nor talk, nor smile. On the third day, one of them accepted a cup of coffee. At that point I had to leave for Khartoum. The day I returned, I told them a story. It was about three guys in the forest trying to return to their village. Three roads led to the village but there was a lion on one road. One guy refused to go with the others and was eaten by the lion.
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| Portrait of two teenage boys at the Khartoum SOS Children's Village in Sudan.. |
Over seven days I told them seven stories. On the eighth day, I didn’t show. On the ninth day, they were waiting for me. I told them it was their turn to do something, and suggested they act out the first story, together, because drama is about group effort. At first they refused and left. The next day they came back. They decided on roles -- not an easy thing for these boys -- and rehearsed.
Once they had gotten past this critical juncture it was possible to help them work through their grief and suffering. In a country where bitter memories are strong, drama helps children express their anger. Through acting and singing, these youths were able to re-establish connections with a traditional way of life, which helped move them toward reconciliation.
To all children of Sudan I want to say this: Never think you are alone. Whatever your difficulties, hold on to your dreams.
As national director of SOS-Sudan, Ali Mahdi applies his talents to giving SOS children hope for a brighter future. Sponsor an SOS child today and give vulnerable children the chance to grow into well-socialized, productive adults who work together to better themselves and the world.
