MOSAIC - The training kit for Euro-Mediterranean youth work

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A camel which has carried its load or its master without food or water until the
evening of the ninth day, has, according to Bedouin tradition, won for itself a human
soul and will go to Paradise. Should the evening of the tenth day be reached and the
camel is still able to travel, it is regarded as having been touched by the miraculous
hand of Allah and may never be ridden again.
Ears: These are small and not prominent. Hairs cover them for protection against
wind-blown sand. The ears can also be bent backwards and will stick to the head if a
sandy wind is blowing.
Nose: The nostrils are two tight slits with skin rims surrounded by hair. The camel is
able to close its nostrils to protect the lungs from particles of sand carried by wind.
Eyes: The eyes have a double row of long eyelashes which are interlaced to trap sand
and protect the camel’s eyes.
Limbs: These are long and raise the body high above the rising dust. Long legs means
the camel is agile and can move fast. The feet are reinforced with broad, calloused,
elastic pads that spread when the camel walks on sand. Thus it is able to walk over
the softest kinds of sand, which is difficult for all other animals. It is the feet that make
the camel worthy of the title “The ship of the desert”.
Tips
It is you who control the pace of the role play. Remember that the anthropologists are
going to stay with you for a week, so you will have to work out how to represent seven
days and nights plus a journey (you decide how long the journey to the fertile land will
take) all in 30 minutes!
Handout for the anthropologists
You are keen to learn as much as possible about camels and how they are adapted to life
in the desert, about Bedouin culture and about how camels are perceived in Bedouin
culture. You have decided to live with the tribe for a week and you hope that they will
teach you lots of new things.
As anthropologists, you do not mind staying with the Bedouin for a week sharing their
life, food and tents, and learning from them by observing their daily rituals and way of
life. You do not speak their language, but will do your best to communicate WITHOUT
USING ANY WORDS. You may not speak or write in any common language. You can
draw pictures, but may not use letters or numbers.
You need to prepare by making a list of the basic things you will need to take with you
and then assembling them from the materials provided.
While living with the Bedouin you will experience things that are different from your life
and culture, so take notes about their practices and everything of interest.
Camels go far without water