Sudanese Tale of Wisdom and Proud Heritage

“Uncle Google, peace be upon him, says the bio should not exceed the length of a Passport” Said Halima Mohammed Abdel Rahman in one of the many chats that lead to this interview, taking a hearty laugh out of me. Now you can understand why her classmates at school said she was legendary being comic.
Her beautiful dark skin and her potent voice are the first attraction when she enters the chat. She is a devoted Muslim, mother of two sons and one daughter, Sudanese by birth, now living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, married to a sincere rather serious Sudanese man from another kin. This decision took a brave stand from her, as women in Sudan are expected to marry within their tribes, and she was the first girl in the family (one sister and six brothers) to make this choice. Because this marriage is indeed her choice, she has lead it happily for a long time and although she feels she is not the right person to give advice, she would tell young couples to take some time off from time to time to achieve good unions. Her grandmothers both taught her feminism with the example of their lives, working with their husbands shoulder to shoulder.
Sudanese girls marry the man AND all his family, so the first mutual visit is not made by her and her parents only, but also with all sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts, grandparents… everyone! So, you can imagine how much she misses her country and her family. Her natural sense of humor is her best weapon against sadness, and she turns the momentum into a happy one telling them popular stories like her grandmother used to do with her, and singing each kid’s song in Arabic, written by her. They won’t let her cheat!
She does not take anything for granted and works hard. She studied in the University of Khartoum, obtaining a BS in French, Diploma of translator in English – Arabic and training courses in Gender and Development; she also studied at the University of Lyon France, where she studied French. She has worked for 17 years in the press as a journalist, having held positions in radio, newspapers and TV. Now she has her own website and collaborates with international media in Riyadh. In her work she has addressed issues like feminine genital mutilation in the Sudanese society and polygamy. She is thankful for being a correspondent for Pulse Wire and regards this as the best thing that happened to her.
“With hard work and laughter, you can defeat ugly facts. I leave space for surprises, as things will be seen differently as the sun rises in a new day” says this multifaceted multi-task modern woman that you have met today, and will admire and love tomorrow.