Sous les arbres d’Ajiep

In the Dinka language, ajiep means «calabash», which is a recipient for collecting cows’ milk and has the connotation of abundance. Ajiep is also the name of a small village in the south of Sudan, with its school, a village chief, a market… and widespread famine. In the wake of the devastation caused by the war, tens of thousands of people have been uprooted by the north-south fighting and have found refuge near Ajiep, but have no food supplies. A team of Médecins Sans Frontières is trying to limit this human catastrophe. The rhythm of life is dictated by the search for food and survival: airdrops of cereals, vaccination campaigns, distribution of food… The film concentrates on the story of Angeth, a young mother who has just arrived at Ajiep with her two small daughters. She had survived for nine months in the forest on fruit and roots, after her herd had been stolen.