Setting in Tears of the Desert

Taking place in Darfur, or Sudan, the small village Halima and her family live in seems to be very rural. Not so much like a farm, but I picture it more as a sand-filled little hut village. The Zaghawa tribe is proud to say they have never been conquered by the white men of Britain throughout their existence. Halima's father is one of the most successful men in the Zaghawa tribe, so their home or bah is bigger then other huts. The hut is divided into different rooms, some for sleeping and one for a central living area. Outside of their home is a chicken coop with a small yard enclosed with a tree branch fence. The village has its own water supply coming from a well that everyone shares. Kids play in the mud as women collect their weeks amount of water for their family. School in the village takes place under a tree for shade, and teaches simple yet key things to the young students. A good distance from the village is a place called the Jebel Marra, a forest where women go to collect wood. As Halima grows older her father decides to send her to a town called Hashma so she can attend a better school. She lives with her uncle there, whose house is similar to theirs in the village. However other houses in the city are much more extravagent. They have brick walls, and glass windows and electricity which Halima admires. Her school, The Hashma Junior Academy for Girls, Halima describes as the smartest place she has ever set foot in. There are classrooms with desks and blackboards, and a play field and buildings with iron roofs. I have not yet gotten into the tragedies in the Darfur land, but so far it seems like a beautiful place.