On the White Nile: A South Sudan businesswoman

For most of the people who read SWS, the act of “boating” will be a recreation. It’s something we do to to relax, waste money, get a thrill or perhaps fulfil a deep seated need to connect with something more meaningful than our mobile phone screens.

I came across this 13 minute video recently released by Al Jazeera, and it reminded me, that for centuries before boats became pleasure craft, they were merely tools for earning a living. Sometimes beautiful tools, and usually efficacious tools… but tools none the less. A Viking long boat was built to wage war, a Couta boat was built to catch a particular type of fish, and a Clipper ship was really just a pantechnicon of the ocean.

I love this film for many reasons. It shows a strong and yet vulnerable woman, telling us about her life, working in a patriarchal society. It’s stunningly filmed. It resonates with the music of Africa, and it happens to be made in a part of the world that I’m closely connected with in my life outside boats.

It only goes for 13 minutes, but if you’re in a rush … don’t watch it now. Find a quiet moment when you can give it your full attention, and then absorb yourself in a world of hardship and beauty.