Jawiya Koy
Jawiya
Koy
Jawiya koy from a mispronunciation of the arabic
word zawia meaning a place (house or whole
neighbourhood) of repose where travelers, students,
and others could stay and find meals and koy
the Songai word for proprietor, thus the sheik or
chief responsible for such a place who financed it
and often offered charity to, or took care of debts
of, the impoverished who made use of it. At one
period in the region's history the wealthy and
charitable leaders who maintained such places were
held in high regard and are numbered among the saints
of Timbuktu today. Chereef are close loyal suporters
of the prophet who came to north Africa durning the
early days of Islamic expansion and among them are
the Haidara, a family name given to people who claim
descendant from the prophet Mohamed. These people as
a whole and the Haidara in particular are also held
in high regard felt to be morally superior to the
average. Historically and even today they make up a
large part of the erudite and spiritual leaders or
the area.
There are a certain number of people who are
considered semi-saint, often descended from families
boasting historical members renowned as erudite,
sage, or spiritual such as the jawara koy and cherif.
These people however tend to be slightly out side the
norm: they are socially awkward, slightly “touched”,
mildly mentally delayed or even a faintly crazy, yet
generally held in esteem and treated with respect.
Though they come from illustrious backgrounds they
are now poor or destitute. However they manage to
live on the kindness of strangers as it were. Many
are the charitable who ofter them a meal or some
money, enough to permit them to live with a full
belly and a roof over their head if the wish.
They have a sort of naivete that lends a sort of
purity or innocence to their actions and they tend to
gravitate towards people who are upright and
dignified who are honest and respectful, generous and
kind. There is often an unspoken honour in being
frequented by such people as it is said they would
not visit anyone who was amoral. The more one is
sought out by such people the probable it is that you
are impeccable character. It could be that they learn
to stay away from those who would mock or ill-use
them, while kind people overlook the foibles of their
character out of pity if nothing else. Their almost
childlike sense of justice and right and wrong
certainly plays a role for while they may forgive
unkindnesses they do not forget and will not
willingly subject themselves again to it.
There are superstitions with some of them that if you
do him or her an ill-turn it will come back to slap
you in the face but if you are desperate straights
(for example dealing with an inexplicable or
untreatable illness) promise of some gift to one of
these people will often bring your wish to fruition,
but be sure you follow through on your promise
afterwards, whether it be a sac of millet or a simple
scarf or you may see a quick reversal of your new
fortune. Such donations help with their expenses.
We are often surrounded by people of this category.
Added to the family at most every meal are a
sprinkling of eccentric sorts, some more so than
others. Some have families and homes but somehow
gravitate to us, Some have little in the way of
relations, at least in the city, and sojourn with us
for weeks or months before returning to the desert or
a more distant village.
One such has a very sensitive nature. In his youth he
was part of the national orchestra of Mali but it
seams his nature was not cut out for such worldly
activities. Now he lives in the north hand-to-mouth,
day-to-day yet happy in his simple way. He gives out
warnings for rather unimportant things or things so
obvious we are clearly aware, yet we simply listen to
him and agree for to do anything else would be cruel.
It is part of his nature. Not long ago he disappeared
for a few days and then just a couple days ago he
showed up again. He came to me and explained that he
had lost 6000 f (about $12). He had received them
during the wedding of our niece or else put them in
the pocket of his new outfit that he had received on
the occasion of the wedding of our niece it wasn't
clear. However they must have fallen out of his
pocket that was much too shallow to be practical.
Either no one saw it fall until it was too late to
know who it belonged to or someone decided keep it
anyhow or someone picked his pocket he didn't know
which but he said “some people have no pity”. The
loss didn't happen at our house but it made him so
heart sick that he went off for a few days. They
impression I got was not the actual money that was so
important to him but the cruelty of people who would
steal it.
We never expect any contribution from these people
when they stay with us. We have a lot of visitors a
lot of the time; many are well well off with bigger
houses than ours, fancy cars with all the bells and
whistles, large salaries or successful enterprises.
Despite their material wealth they seem to prefer the
natural openness found with us, they drink large
quantities of tea and snack on what we have available
or join us for break-fast during Ramadan yet few ever
even ofter to contribute so much as packet of tea;
why then should we expect more of the impoverished
souls who visit us.
Today however this man who had last week lost the
only 6000 francs that he had, today acquired a medium
sized goat and offered it to us. That it be butchered
and the meat shared that everyone have a taste. Thus
it was done, a chunk going off to several families in
the neighborhood and the rest grilled up here where
all who were present were enjoined to partake
thereof. No he may be poor but it is not his soul
which is impoverished.