The Sweepers: Fighting Centuries Old Isolation 2nd in a Series [Archives:2000/37/Culture]

Social Look at Sweepers
Families hire the services of akhdam on special occasions, such as marriage, circumcision ceremonies etc. for enjoyment or entertainment as drummers, dancers, and cleaners. In some areas they are hired as butchers and do special-occasion cooking also.
People never used to make friendship with sweepers; they themselves avoided it knowing that they were degraded or low-cast. But today we can find them in every field of life. They are at Radio and TV studios as tenors, at stadiums as footballers with national teams, at cinema halls as film watchers, at barbershops, mosques, theaters, cultural houses: everywhere. Thus scope of making friendship are wider these days.
People never used to eat with sweepers and never liked to be their guests . By any chance those citizens who married sweeper girls were detested. Relatives and friends of the husbands never liked to be their guest. But time changed and this boycott seems to have relaxed though at a very low percentage.
As could be seen from above, the once-isolated sweepers in political, cultural, social and religious life began mingling with us directly or indirectly.
Even on human and humane grounds people never used to visit sick sweepers at their homes or hospitals; but now this barrier has been proportionately lifted. One additional reason for accepting them in our society was that they gave up a large portion of their old irritating and indecent behavior.

Greeting
In the past most people never liked to shake hands with sweepers for their being always dirty or sick. If a sweeper happened to greet his boss he would do it in his way, with the later not showing any interest in his greeting; thus, to sweepers, greeting became a symbol of slavishness, humility and disgrace. But now people greet them in a lip service manner without shaking hands.

Source of Feeding
In the past they used to scavenge in dustbins and eat ort or left overs from houses or restaurants. Feasts left overs on special occasions used to be treated as boons; but today akhdam are in a better living condition. They cook of their own and take their poor or sumptuous meals at their houses.

Profession
Majority of akhdam used to work in lowest-ranking type jobs. Although these jobs, in the past and even today, constituted to be a part of the essential services every citizen needs in his daily life, their cleaning of the streets, removing of blockage from drainage systems and emptying rubbish bins are looked at with hatred with the knowledge that sweepers strikes have always cost us a lot. Mostly they are recruited by municipalities although on official terms; but special conditions.
Mostly their children, women and old men used to beg money from others. They do it today also but the style is changed. Employee-sweepers receive YR.10,000-15,000 per month; but Thursdays are their special days of additional earning. One by one they nearly go through each and every shop and collect forced incentives. If not paid, they stop cleaning the outside area of such shops. They are divided into groups according to their areas of daily-street-cleansing. In the field of begging areas the physically strong men command their own areas of influence.
At the Maalla Main Road signals a contractor could be seen bringing in a number of sweeper-beggars of different ages plus the crippled ones in his car and stationing them on the four-road junction.
That is why they never like to send their children to schools. At home they give their siblings special tough lessons, with cruelty, on means of begging which is a money spinner for them. Their adult girls are taught how to cope with the lust of men; allowing caressing but not to the extent of adultery. . The purpose is to offer oneself mildly for grabbing good sum of money.
During morning hours their women could be seen frequenting vegetable and wet markets collecting pieces or bits to prepare their lunch. During afternoon hours their young daughters are sent down to seduce qat-sellers at qat markets to collect leaves of qat for papa and mama.
In a way sweepers are believed to be rich . They do earn as officially appointed employees and they beg also but they never spend on their daily requirements of life; because they beg everything.
Very few could be seen doing their own free jobs; as shoemakers or car cleaners. Some have snatched the jobs of citizens and developed themselves. They could be seen working as welders, mentors of kerosene-stove or hubble-bubble and other such unskilled jobs. Some of them repair the shoddy China-or-Taiwan made radio and television sets. As porters they have monopoly at sea and airports throughout the Republic. These porter-groups monopoly could also be seen at all vegetable markets where they unload trucks. They never reject to become porters with building material importers loading and unloading cement bags, timbers etc. Fishing boats also hire their services on land and at seas as porters. Some farms in agricultural areas also hire them as porters or harvesters according to the seasons. Sweepers are good farmers but not on their own land which actually they dont possess.
People used to detest those citizens who worked as drivers on Municipality vehicles. Time came when sweepers learnt driving and became drivers.
In Aden, sweepers could be seen auctioning and selling fish and vegetables. Some sell qat while others turned into brokers. Handicapped sweepers have been provided with small kiosks to sell petty items and make a living out.
Usually youth sweepers are physically well-built. Such youth could be seen doing excavation works digging here on hire for the Water Authority or there for the Electricity Corporation and somewhere else for the Telephones Department. They dig our graves too!!
Sometimes you can see a male sweeper in streets going through shops playing his flute and a woman or women dancing in his small musical band. Sometimes he could be seen alone playing his flute alone. These performances are meant to collect money.
In the area stretching from Al-Hujariyah to Dhbab in the Bab el Mandeb Strait, male and female sweepers separately circumcise the new borns. The male is called (Muzai-yen) and the female (muzai-yana).
As job seekers sweepers are not a welcome at eateries. The extent of hatred could be judged with an example where a villager is selling boiled maize; say, his rival is a sweeper. No one will approach the latter at all only because he is a customarily known dirty sweeper.
These changes do not mean at all that the low-rank jobs will disappear. We shall keep needing the services of jabartis, sewer cleaners, street cleaners and garbage lifters. And so will the sweepers themselves.

Burial Ceremony
Their funeral services were and still are of low-key level. Normally the service is performed always in silence. People say that they, in fact, never perform any. They bury their deaths at late hours of night in utter silence. People believe they bury their deaths under their dwellings. A 60-year-old friend who has a sweepers locality in his area told me he has never chanced to see any funeral of a dead sweeper in his area throughout his life!

Habits
They are inclined to chewing qat lavishly, listening to music and dance. Both males and females are accustomed to snuff. They could be seen spitting here and there without caring for others health. Today this irritating habit is confined to old-timers.
Both male and female are used to hubble-bubble in their daily life with particular use at their qat sittings. They encourage their youngsters to taste it. No matter then if they get accustomed to it. They become perfect men, they would claim. Today their modern girls never like the smell of the burnt tobacco. The use of hubble-bubble today is confined to old addicts only.
Muslims celebrate two idds : Idd al-Fetr (lesser bairam) and Idd al-Adha (greater bairam); but a jovial employee-sweeper youth treated stipend day as Idd day also. Why not? Doesnt it bring joy? he added. I agreed with him but put a critical question to him: Invisibly, you people are rich. Why we see you pawning your radio or TV sets, tape recorders or even your hubble-bubbles? You do this throughout every month. The youth was too quick to answer: Include the pawning day in our idds!!

Akhdams Culture
Their main musical instruments are flute and drums. From area to area and from occasion to occasion the drums differ in shape and size. However, they are very good at dancing. Male solo dances differ from females. In their female dances every part of the body could be seen shaking and trembling; particularly the bosoms. The eyes send invitation while benign smiles never depart. They have their own pair dances also.
Their poetry and poems have their own taste. For each occasion they have their special songs.

Political Rights
They are hunted by political parties on election days only against few Riyals but are then dumped in the litter bin of their deep, black darkness. A sweeper told me: During last elections campaign candidates led us up the garden path; but offered us nothing more than a volume-low water reservoir in exchange of our vote. After unification, I recall, sweepers were able to bring down a parliament candidate only because both parties (the voter and the candidate) failed to reach an agreement on the exact cost of the vote ! At one sweeper aakels residence, I saw two certificates, issued by the ruling Peoples General Congress, praising his admirable role in 1997 elections. I gather my boys and girls in this area and take them to the polling stations, he said. This gives them some money and ensures their employment at the municipalities, he added.
Within themselves they are ambitious to change their status and improve their fraternal relations with other human beings ; but they have no power. Neither the State heeds to them nor preachers or learned men give sermons to people with the purpose of affecting a qualitative shift in the life of sweepers.
A frustrated sweeper, Abdulhadi Muhammed Musleh expressed the grievance of sweepers by saying: There are societies for preventing cruelty to animals. Is there any society for preventing cruelty to us? When asked to draw a true picture of his sufferings he sighed heavily and told me: We live on what we believe to be unkempt or unclaimed plots of land. Our dwellings could be treated as temporary shelters which could be brought down at any time by the unknown owner(s) of that plot of land. These dwellings are considered illegal, therefore, no water or electricity supplies are extended to us even if we show readiness to pay the State charges for such services. Our wastes remain within our area because no drainage or sewer line is provided. Because the area teems with mosquitoes this creates illness; mainly malaria.
Researcher Hayel Saeed Ali, in his research work entitled Sweepers Social Rituals claimed that sweepers are contended with the present standard of their life. They never think of improving their conditions. To them, this does not mean any flaw or diminution.
But majority of youth today , to large extent, realizes the situation they live in. A silent revolution is in the offing.

Dress
In the past sweepers used to don what they could get from other people. You could hardly find them in markets buying new clothes. Normally they used to be poorly dressed. Change in better dress could point to their well-being thus depriving them of alms. In Aden senior officials at government departments would offer them their childrens old clothes, shoes, school bags etc.
In Aden, sweepers could be seen clean and well dressed. They could be seen in markets buying their needs. Here you can watch their modern girls buying perfumes, cosmetics, new low-quality shoes and lingerie according to their financial abilities. Male and female students too could be seen shopping their stationery.

Dirtiness
In the past because they rarely used to take bath not for blame of being sweepers; but owing to non-availability of water in their areas, they used to smell musty. That intolerable obnoxious smell emitting from their body kept people away from them. Time came when they themselves realized why people detest them. Today in Aden they take daily bath and look better.
To be continued next week

Education
Their childrens joining schools was also detested and that is why sweepers mostly remained illiterate. It is the high illiteracy rate within sweepers which bred a state of lawlessness in their life. They become criminals.
If at schools they never go beyond primary classes. It is not their parents financial problems alone which hinders continuation of their education; but it is their earnest desire to see their siblings at work at early age.
In the past, at schools, sweeper students were first excluded temporarily, then permanently, then they would go on long authorized absence at their parents behest. Finally they used to be cleansed. But today some sweeper male and female students could be seen at secondary classes, institutes and faculties particularly in the southern sector. In rare cases they could be seen holding the post of clerks or secretaries. Their joining computer class should not be a surprise.
However, it is felt that had the primary-preparatory-secondary system of education been compulsory, sweepers sons and daughters would never be found scattered, begging in streets.

Marriage: In the past they used to marryed and even today they marry within their own society. Because during those days the dowry used to be cheap, they became polygamous. Cases of divorce were rampant. Children population was high. Today the situation is different. Although centuries old discrimination prevent sweepers from marrying in societies other than their own, the only difference in sweepers society is between their educated and illiterate spouses. Dowry has now shot up resulting in monogamy. Price hikes have encouraged adoption of family planning; subsequently children population rate has dropped.

Within their own society they used to get involved in sodomy, prostitution, adultery and orgy. In the face of deprived life, and perhaps their rootlessness they felt themselves open more than any other societies. Today things are changed. They detest prostitution and the like within their society.

Pet Owners:- They liked to own pets like cats and dogs but they never cared to keep them clean. They used to sleep with them. In remote areas they liked to keep donkeys and camels also. Today, this hobby seems to have vanished mainly because going through preventive measures to void animal diseases costs.

Hunger & Poverty: What ails you?, I asked an illiterate adolescent who was too frank to answer expressing her anguish by saying We cant continue our education.. We cant find decent jobs whereas our problem is hunger and hunger and hunger. Pointing to her stomach she yelled: For the sake of this, we do anything, everything

The Mulattos:- Look into her face carefully. Safiya does not look to be a sweeper. Her father should have come from the higher society while her mother is a sweeper. Had Safiya been a legal daughter she would have been living with her father; but now she could be seen begging near any traffic signal light. With her charm and pranks she fetches more money than her friends. Of course, if married, her dowry would be higher. Such, rare cases could still be found within sweepers society today.

Sweepers Servants
At public coffee shops and restaurants and qat-lodgings, sweepers are served like ordinary citizens. There is no discrimination at all.

Modern Names
Sweepers these days prefer to use modern names than the old Islamic ones. Females bear names like Leena, Liza, Elwin, Deena , Luna, etc. while males carry names such as Fares, Sameer, etc. Old female names like Fatima, Haleema, Joomaa, Karamah or male names like Muhammed, Ahmed, Saleh, Ali are no longer in use. Is it a sign of change? Will change in names, change their life too?

Sweepers Are Not Alone
If sweepers are low-cast, the curse hunts butchers and barbers also. We do not know what would happen if barbers close down and butchers shift to another job. However people detest marrying their daughters or sons to barbers or butchers families. History proves that the sweepers, barbers, butchers, and shoe-makers were always present everywhere and anywhere. That butchers and barbers think themselves higher than sweepers is quite a separate issue.

Who Is The Lord?: In their own localities sweepers could be seen disputing each other for a simple but deep-rooted problem. Imagine a sweeper throwing his litter near the house of his sweeper neighbour. Why you love lording it over me? is a serious question. It is it an admittance they within themselves sweepers need the services of their brethren sweepers?
Love Market

See her seducing her prey.
She is well-dressed, smelling good with her high quality perfume; but she is wrapped in her Balto the black veil . Her face is covered with a scarf (called Khimar). Through it, from a slit you can see her naughty eyes inviting you. Her hands are enveloped in gloves. Her black stockings cover her feet and leg. Is she white? Is she black?
She is playing the role of a call girl. The theater is a dark corner of a selected street where love market is practiced.
Give her a lift and the deal is cent percent perfect. Pay her in cash in the first instance. Then get shocked to see a black face seated in your luxurious cars back seat. Under the dim light of you car you can now see your dream girl . Her simple make-up. Her rouge lip-stick and face-powder only.

You are at choice now…either accept her or throw her out of your car. You both are in a dark area, far away from the eyes of security men.
This is a source of earning which usually ends up with a skirmish; but the girl is too brave to fight a psychologically weak man who does not like to go to the police station.

Butterflies
You can find young or divorced sweeper girls at Aden night clubs. They master western dances with music. You are at liberty to choose them amongst the many local and other areas attractive butterflies.

Made In Yemen
Sweeper settlements are famous for preparing a special local-made brewery called Baladi. Hygienically, it is harmful but liquor-addict citizens with low income, like it. The brewers claim that it is prepared from fruits; but that is not true. This business fetches a very good income to sweepers who now possess stone-made houses and cars to transport their product from one place to another. They have special links with policemen to avoid raids. In Aden one .75-litre-Shamlan-bottle costs YR.200.

Baladi prepared in Aden and neighboring provinces is quite different from that brewed in Mukalla. It is said to be strong and hygienic. Soviet experts used to exchange two bottles of vodka against one bottle of made-of-dates Mukalla baladi.

Face To Face With Islah
Skirmishes between sweepers who deal in baladi and Reform (Islah) members sometimes develops into armed clashes. On one occasion hand grenades and guns were used; but the outcome is always in favor of baladi manufacturers who master the art of sopping security men in their particular areas.

Beggars Under Our Very Nose
For reasons known to everyone of us, we give alms to poor and the needy persons. As long as these reasons exist, sweepers will continue to be beggars.

Sweepers Under British Rule In Former Aden Colony, then Aden State.

In different parts of the 75-square-mile former Aden Colony sweepers used to live in Bunder Gadeed area in Steamer Point (Tawahi), Hafat al-Akhdam (Sweepers Locality) in Maalla Kutcha area (where, then licensed brothels were operative) and also another locality near Maalla Stadium. In Crater area, they were settled in Khusaf Valley. There was not any gathering-place for them in Khormaksar area. In Sheikh Othman they lived in one or two main settlements. Then Al-Mimdara became their headquarters. Little Aden (Bureika) also had a settlement at (Buraika al-Farsi) area. The neighboring Dar Sad a part of the then Abdali Sultanate was overcrowded with sweepers.

A visitor to Aden can still see the British-time-made Sweepers Quarters in Khusaf Valley.

Sweepers were allowed to join State-run schools. Their girls had to put scarves on their head in the light of the increasing complaints received from citizens on lice which used to creep or fly from female sweeper students to their daughters heads.

Male and female sweepers were officially employed at all government departments and the British Middle East Commands various branches such as the MPBW, the Navy etc.in the post of cleaners in different grades and salary scales. Some were accepted as messengers (peons) or watchmen (chawkidars). Their uniform used to give them a special look but they would use them as a life-long attire.

Sweepers Under The Red Flag:- They took part in the struggle against colonization not because they wanted to do so; but they were seduced with funds. Their presence in the various branches of the British Middle East Command eased planting time-bombs. They were promised with positions in the to-be liberated South. Indeed they became partners in the ruling National Liberation Fronts first Peoples Republic of South Yemen (PRSY) which then changed into the People Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY). Of course they did not occupy key posts but headed many of the different committees of the former NLF then UNFPO (Unified National Front Political Organization) and finally the YSP ( todays Yemeni Socialist Party).

The second president of the former PDRY, Salem Robaya Ali, was akhdams liberator. He made sweepers dream come true through lifting their status as his rule was claimed to have been for the have-nots. It is during his rule that sweepers found themselves in a strong position to chant: On on you go Salmeen; we are no more sweepers.

On death, some hero sweepers coffin were lowered down into their last resting place wrapped in the State flag!

Here also male and female sweepers were officially employed at all government departments in the post of cleaners, watchmen and messengers in different grades and salary scales. Defense, Health and Education ministries used to absorb lots of them.

Sweepers were also posted in the Army and the Peoples Militia and joined the compulsory conscription as well the General Reserve Training. Some held key posts at the Ministry of Defense and also the Ministry of Interior. Truly, their standard of living did change.

Not much known Mimdara, in Sheikh Othman, became their main settlement where family quarters were constructed for them with water and electricity, schools and markets.

During August, 1972 when the former PDRY witnessed nationalization of houses, sweepers became owners of some of the nationalized houses which were more than what they expected.

It is not wonder to learn that Aden then witnessed a modern class of sweepers. A Nasser who was a dresser at a State-run clinic was promoted to Ward in-charge. Aasma became a trained and licensed mid-wife. Haleema became an assistant at the physiotherapy section of the former Queen Elizabeth Hospital (now Republican Educational Hospital). Her sister Suad became a nurse. Nagat was appointed a teacher at a State-run preparatory school. In other parts of the former southern Yemen sweepers became teachers and informants beside their being at the Defense and Interior.

In the former PDRY southern sector, foreign cleaners from Bangla Desh, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan were signed on contracts to replace the local sweeper labor force for two reasons. The first was to improve the status of sweepers by moving them to other jobs. The other reason was to get rid of their excessive demands and repeated threats to go on strike demanding better salaries and allowances. In the northern part also foreign sweepers services were hired but local sweepers were rendered jobless.

In Aden we heard of a new category of sweepers who were then known as jackals. Their job was to inspect all open sewers at night and with purpose to fill them with stones or bottles. Families would then complain of blockage. None but sweepers could clear the blockage; thus a source of lucrative living was found; but this did not last longer.

Providing the sweepers with quarters, education, water and electricity brought an automatic change in their life.

Note:
At the request of our readers, part three has been added to this article. Meanwhile readers comments are awaited. Thanks.

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