Under the Roof of the Davar
The climate change fact is intensive among the Middle East countries and especially Iran. Hamun-e Jaz Murian is a wetland in southeastern Iran, straddling the provinces of Kerman and Sistan and Baluchestan, which is considered as one of the most important water resources in the region due to its low water and surrounding areas. It has also become a livestock strategy. Due to the construction of dams upstream, governmental mismanagement and droughts, Hamun-e Jaz Murian has become a waterless desert and grass. As the wetland continues to dry up, desert winds will generate dust, halt vegetation and animal life, with the loss of native vegetation in the area and the inability of livestock to survive in warm and dry conditions of the local indigenous households. It will face problems and subsequent migration will increase day by day. The inhabitants of the area are mostly Baluchi, facing extreme poverty, unemployment, no facilities, and drying up of the wetland has made the situation worse.
In January 2019, I traveled to the Sowlan village, southern Kerman, and photographed everyday life of the Jat people for a month and a half. Jats are a Baluchi tribe that used to live on the outskirts of Hamun-e Jaz Murian through the maintenance of 250 camels owned by others. As the familys’ livelihoods become more difficult, a benefactor decides to move them from the desert to Sowlan village so they can benefit from the least amenities like access, electricity, sanitation, health care, education, and telecommunications. However, some families of the tribe still live alongside camels in the desert. They live in tents are called “davar”. The davar is made of date palm leaves, patches of old cloth and mat, and is very basic. With the exception of a few non-standard brick houses with no facilities built by the help of the government in the area, most of the houses in the area are davar and are not secured against wind, dust, rain and cold.
Item #1
Wicker houses at dawn. These tents are called "davar". Their davar is made of date palm leaves, patches of old cloth and mat, and is very basic. With the exception of a few non-standard brick houses with no facilities built by the help of the government in the area, most of the houses in the area are davar and are not secured against wind, dust, rain and cold. Here is one of the most deprived regions in Iran. Sowlan, Ghalehganj, Kerman province, Iran, 2019.
Belgheis (39, left) and Zahra (34, right) are preparing the leaves of a tree which is called “daz” for making mats. They will later use the mat as the rug and the outer covering of their davars. Sowlan, Ghalehganj, Kerman province, Iran, 2019.
Nasibeh (7) and Mahdi (8) are currently attending school. Fatemeh (10) is helping Nasibeh to get ready for school. They came from desert to village last year. A charity got certificate for them so seven children of different ages are now in the first grade of primary school. Aside simple school, there is a very visible lack of educational and recreational facilities in region. However, Mandoust (39), Nasibeh’s father says: “Our life in the desert was very bad and we are in good condition right now that we are in the village. There is a school here and also electricity. Nasibeh, Mahdi and Yasman (10) are at first grade in elementary school and I am happy they are able to study so that they do not become illiterate and poor like me”. However, Mandoust's eldest son Amir Hossein (13) still lives in the desert with camels and cannot attend school. The harsh living condition in the desert, their long-term poverty and illiteracy have convinced them to be human beings satisfied with the least opportunities. Sowlan, Ghalehganj, Kerman province, Iran, 2019.
Omid (9 months old) is in her mother’s arms, Leila (32) in their davar. Omid feeds on her mother's breast, and due to her mother's malnutrition, Omid is malnourished as well and is constantly restless and crying. Bread is the most important and cheapest food in the region. Villagers bake fresh bread as for their daily food. Sowlan, Ghalehganj, Kerman province, Iran, 2019.
Zivar (15), Havva (8) and Yasaman (10), after feeding the calves, are taking a bath in a pond of one of the village farms. Mother camels don't have enough milk for their calves so they bring calves near the village. One calf and two bags of flour are the annual wages of keeping 250 camels in the desert paid by their father. They do not own the land. Villagers have given them lands temporarily. The place where they keep the calves is far away from their home, and these girls have to walk through desert for half an hour every time. Sowlan, Ghalehganj, Kerman province, Iran, 2019.
Leila, (32) Jat woman has 7 children. Her youngest called Omid (9 months old) is in her arms. Her first five children are daughters while her husband wanted sons, and Leila's sixth and seventh children are sons. The Baluchs willing to have more sons because sons can help fathers and will be the head of family in the future. Birth control is not common and women give birth to too many children. Her husband is a camel driver (shepherd) and live in desert with camels away from his family and go back home only once in a while. Because of sever living conditions, marriage at early age, giving too many births and harsh weather, it is difficult to distinguish women’s age from their looks. Caring of children, collecting firewood, cooking bread, bringing water and feeding baby camels are routine tasks for women and girls. They wake up at sunrise and sleep shortly after sunset. Jat women do not know any particular art because of their isolated environment and lack of communication with others as a result of living in desert. They do not even know “needlework” which is very common among other Baluchi women. Sowlan, Ghalehganj, Kerman province, Iran, 2019.
Molouk is consuming opium. Opium is common among men in the region, but not common among women. Molouk says she smokes opium to ease up her pain due to diabetes. Poverty, unemployment and being close to Afghanistan borders are three major factors of high addiction rate in this part of Iran. Sowlan, Ghalehganj, Kerman province, Iran, 2019.
The kids are playing with kites that a benefactors gives them. They used to play with anything they could find and spend their spare time. Usually children play with an empty bottle and a piece of wood around their davars. They have no toys. There are no Recreational amenities close by for Jats. Sowlan, Ghalehganj, Kerman province, Iran, 2019.
Leila (32) is delousing from her daughter’s hair, Zahra (7). The village does not have any health center and if they want to use medical care, they have to go another village about 20 kilometers away. There is a very visible lack of health and recreational facilities in Sowlan, Ghalehganj, Kerman province, Iran, 2019.
Young people are watching football game. The village does not have any recreational facilities. One of the most favorite games amongst young people is playing football. The village does have limited access to the mobile network, but no internet access. Also most of people do not have TVs due to the high poverty rate. That is why football on the sandy ground is a favorite hobby the youth of the village. Sowlan, Ghalehganj, Kerman province, Iran, 2019.
Mother and son are collecting camels that return from the desert in the evening. Drying up of the Hamun-e Jaz Murian has led to an increase in dust production, which has reduced the fertility of camels and had a direct impact on the lives of the local people.25 percent of the country's dust is from the dried-up Hamun-e Jaz Murian . Having dusty weather every day threatens the life and health people of the area. Sowlan, Ghalehganj, Kerman province, Iran, 2019.
Portrait of Hossein, 49 years old. He used to be a drug addict for a long time. He has 4 children and eventually he voluntarily went to rehab to get cleaned up. Poverty, unemployment and being close to Afghanistan borders are the major factors for high number of addicts in this part of Iran. He loves singing and playing traditional Baluchis music instrument. He does not work and pay for his family expenses by the benefit of 45000 tomans (equals 4 US dollars) he monthly receives from government, equals to 4 US dollars. Hossein wants to have another baby. Belgheis, his wife (39) says: “Hossein expects me to get pregnant and threatens to marry a young woman. They have four children, one of whom is Samieh, a 12-year-old girl who has bone problems and had six surgery already. This is why Belgheis believes: Considering Samieh's inability to do her smallest personal tasks, dealing with Samieh is very time-consuming”. The cost of Samieh's treatment does not allow her to think of another child even though a large part of Operation costs is covered by benefactors. I ask Hossein why he wants a child. "Because we don't have any special entertainment here, at least playing with the kids and having fun with young children will make the family fun and happy," he says. Sowlan, Ghalehganj, Kerman province, Iran, 2019.
Emad Behzadi (25, left) and Zeinab Poorsiavash (20, right) married 4 years ago. Hadi (3, left) and Mahdi (1, right) are their children. Marriage of underage girls is very common among Baluch. Most women are illiterate and give birth for take of receiving about 45,000 toman (equals 4 US dollars) subsidies per month. They get more subsidies from the government if they have more children. But they have no idea that inflation caused by government pensions (subsidies) makes them poorer every day.
Hamideh (18), a woman from the village who got married last year says: “they call you spinster if you are 20 or more but not married yet”. She adds, “What can I do but giving birth to more children? We are illiterate, have no special skills and not allowed to leave the village without the permission of the men”. Sowlan, Ghalehganj, Kerman province, Iran, 2019.
Leila (32) is giving her son, Omid (9 months) a bath. Since the family does not have hot water and proper bath room, children are washed with hot water in a metal tub in the room. Due to poor nutrition of Leila, Omid who breastfeeds, is malnourished as well. Sowlan, Ghalehganj, Kerman province, Iran, 2019.
Leila (32) is making fire while sitting next to cradle of Omid (9 month). The village lacks gas piping. So, cooking and heating are provided by firewood collected from the desert. The smoke from burning woods fill the room. Sowlan, Ghalehganj, Kerman province, Iran, 2019.
A small palm garden on the edge of the village with a wall made of palm leaves. Abundant dust in the area impedes proper tree growth. According to studies, 25% of the country's dust comes from the dried Hamun-e Jaz Murian. This village is on the margin of the wetland. It is windy most of days here. Wind creates sand hills. These hills get bigger and move. Sometimes road are covered by sand. After drought, wind with plenty of dust and sand hills are the seconds threatening the life of people and their health around the Hamun-e Jaz Murian. Sowlan, Ghalehganj, Kerman province, Iran, 2019.
Ali is sitting next to the fire at his davar. Ali is 41 years old and he is unemployed. This area of Kerman, where Baluch residents live, is facing extreme poverty, unemployment and lack of facilities. He lives on government's subsidiaries and helps of Rescue committees. Sowlan, Ghalehganj, Kerman province, Iran, 2019.
Farmer is spraying his wheat farm with chemical fertilizer. Heavy winds and dust have made agricultural land less fertile. . Sowlan, Ghalehganj, Kerman province, Iran, 2019.
Khodarahm (3, right) at the door of his grandmother's davar, Molouk (left). Khodarahm means blessing from God. His family gave him this nickname because he was born after five daughters and his parents desired to have boys. His name is Amir Reza's at his birth certificate. Sons have a higher position among the baluchs. When Khodarahm was only five months old, her mother became pregnant again. So Molouk takes care of Khodarahm and there is a special relationship between them. Molouk says: “my only hobbies are playing with Khodarahm, smoking and having tea. Sowlan, Ghalehganj, Kerman province, Iran, 2019.
The village lacks gas piping. So, cooking and heating are provided by firewood collected from the desert which is routine tasks for women and girls. Zahra (34) is returning from the desert to the village. She is in the second month of her pregnancy. Sowlan, Ghalehganj, Kerman province, Iran, 2019.
It is raining. The motorcycle is covered with plastic. The family gathered in the davar of Belgeis around the fire. Sowlan, Ghalehganj, Kerman province, Iran, 2019.
Wicker tents at night. These tents are called "davar". Their davar is made of date palm leaves, patches of old cloth and mat, and is very basic. With the exception of a few non-standard brick houses with no facilities built by the help of the government in the area, most of the houses in the area are davar and are not secured against wind, dust, rain and cold. Here is one of the most deprived regions in Iran. Sowlan, Ghalehganj, Kerman province, Iran, 2019.