Sudan's Eve Bazaars: Between Distinction And Authenticity

Riyadh (Sudanaw) - Once you enter a bazaar, you feel as if you are on a tourist trip. Enjoying a tour of these markets, which are a favorite destination for everyone, is an opportunity to go shopping, purchase gifts, and learn about cultures, customs, and traditions, including local foods and drinks.
The products on display in these markets are usually handicrafts, whether traditional clothing, popular foods, or cosmetics.
Sudanese women have made active contributions to the diaspora, some of whom are residents and others who fled to these countries due to war. They have been able to present honorable models of Sudanese women.

(Sudanaw) met with Dr. Elham Al-Busaili, a cosmetics specialist and owner of the Home Care Brand, who explained the importance of bazaars and their significant contribution to increasing the individual income of participants and expanding the scope of marketing. This provides most families, especially those with limited and middle incomes, with the benefit of advertising and access to new sales areas to display and purchase goods, products, and services. It also provides the needs of Sudanese women and Sudanese households in one place at very competitive prices, each according to their needs.
Dr. Elham said that she benefited from her experience, expertise, and participation in many exhibitions and festivals to embody that expertise and help“my country girls,” as she put it, particularly after the war, to get the opportunity to market their production and support their families by organizing the Sudan Eve Bazaar, which is a non-profit service bazaar that aims to elevate Eve to the international level, introduce Sudanese women's products to parallel markets, introduce them to others, and highlight the distinction of our products and Eve's capabilities in production, in addition to providing training and qualification opportunities to contribute to the development of her community. Ms. Najlaa Al-Sheikh, owner of the Najlaa Brand for Sudanese Fashion for Men and Women, lost her job of nearly twenty years due to the war and was forced to flee to Riyadh, leaving behind everything she owned in the hope of returning home. However, she says, "Four months after leaving Sudan, I began participating with a small portion of my products in the bazaars held periodically. Many people recognized my products, and I gained a good reputation through my participation, despite the weak purchasing power at the beginning. However, I tried to develop the idea of ​​the bazaar or women's market into a mixed festival for all productive families, so that everyone with an idea or project could develop and grow it, creating success through it." Hence, the name "Success Makers" came to be used by all participants, both male and female. Ms. Wafaa Wardi, an accounting graduate, said she entered the bakery and incense business after the death of her husband and father. Wafaa expressed her appreciation for Sudanese women for standing up for their families during times of hardship, noting that most of the participants, like herself, are widows working to support their children or they are divorced support themselves.

Some of them have settled families and participate to help their husbands and families during wartime. She said that visitors to the bazaar find everything they need under one roof, from baked goods and food supplies to clothing, perfumes, incense, cosmetics, and clothing. There are also spaces for Sudanese cuisine serving traditional dishes and various meals, as well as a café serving coffee with all its beautiful Sudanese rituals, tea, and most hot and cold drinks. She added that prices vary in the bazaar and are affordable for everyone, noting that some bazaars are popular with other communities, such as the Saudi-Sudanese and Hawa, while others are mixed, such as the successful makers and Kandaka Hind Rashid. Mona and Hala Salman, participants in the bazaar, emphasized that the bazaar is not only an opportunity to market products, but rather serves as an exhibition and showcase of Sudanese products. They emphasized that demand for Sudanese incense and perfumes is increasing, a craft inherited from our mothers since ancient times. There is also a growing demand for one of our associated customs, the jirtig, which is one of the most important customs in Sudanese marriages. There is also a high demand for Sudanese food from other nationalities. Bara'a Abbas, a visitor to the bazaar, said that she and her family are keen to participate in every session because the bazaar resembles a Sudanese festival. Indeed, even when we are abroad, we feel as if we are in our own country, Sudan. The atmosphere is fragrant with the scent of Sudanese perfumes and incense, and Sudanese music and songs fill the air, in addition to the food and dishes, especially aqashi, meats, and grilled dishes, which are popular with all participants, even from other nationalities. Local drinks and juices such as tabaldi, karkadeh, and ardeeb are also available.

Alia Essam said the bazaar allows her family to meet relatives, and her family members seize this opportunity to meet and reunite. They live in distant areas, so the bazaar is home to an elegant gathering of parents, grandparents, and grandmothers. There's a designated area for tea, coffee, and hot drinks, where the elderly gather. Sabah Huzaifa, who studies design, said the bazaar gives her the opportunity to learn about different designs, especially that there are Sudanese dress designers who offer bold and attractive ideas. It's also a shopping opportunity, as the bazaar offers many displays and provides us with many Sudanese products that every Sudanese family abroad needs. Her sister, Nusieba, expressed her joy, saying that she and her friends are keen to visit the bazaar because it's an opportunity to shop and also to meet up with a group of classmates and friends who have been separated by the war.
The bazaar atmosphere brings back those happy days. Sudan's Eve Bazaars combine the authenticity of heritage and the distinction of the present while preserving the beautiful origin, according to Dr. Elham Al-Busaili. They remain attractive to many who come to visit and participate in them, whether by displaying or buying, in their Sudanese atmosphere in a foreign country.

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