ABHA: The lack of basic services in Al-Berak, an isolated village in Asir province, means the village’s 6,000 residents live rather difficult and primitive lifestyles. Residents say that due to poor roads 30 women recently gave birth inside their husbands’ cars on their way to hospital.
Al-Berak is a far cry from the dazzling lights and developed suburbs of the Kingdom’s larger cities. The village only has a humble primary school. This means the majority of school-age children do not study beyond the primary level.
Only 50 percent of male children continue with secondary education, traveling 40 km every day just to go to school.
As a result, the majority of inhabitants of this village are poorly educated and unemployed. Females are only educated up to the primary school level.
Ibrahim Al-Hilali, a 23-year-old father of five, is unemployed and only went to school until the fourth grade.
“A lack of services and financial resources forced me to stop my education and raise goats,” he said. “This is the main income for me and my family, but it is no longer feasible with grass and water being very expensive at present,” he added.
Ibrahim Al-Sobeihi, on the other hand, has struggled to finish his education, traveling from one village to another and from one region to another to ensure he gets his diploma.
“I received my primary education in my village, Baid. I then used to travel to a nearby village to attend secondary school and then to a third village to get my high school diploma. I finally joined a teacher training college in Qunfuda in Al-Baha province, which is about 280 km from my village. I used to travel that much every day just to complete my education,” he said.
Nafie Ali Jaber, a resident of Al-Faid village, said most villages only have elementary schools. “Transportation is a major issue. The problems associated with rural roads prevent many youngsters from continuing on with their secondary and high school education,” he added.
It is not only education and roads that need developing; rural Saudi Arabia lacks proper telephone services.
Mohammed Al-Hilali said his village does not have landlines or mobile phone networks, despite people continually requesting the Saudi Telecom Company to cover the village.
“Al-Berak is around 40 km away from where I live. The roads there are bumpy and not properly built. The village lacks proper health facilities and 30 women have given birth on roads leading out of the village on their way to hospital,” he said, adding that the village has only one basic medical center with a doctor and a nurse.
Ibrahim Abbat said his wife has given birth to five of his children in his car. “The roads are extremely bumpy and that’s why we couldn’t get to hospital on time. We’re waiting for an official to come and visit us. I can’t ever remember a government official visiting us,” he said.
A lack of health facilities in the area is also thought to have contributed to the death of Mohammed Saeed’s 20-year-old sister who died after being bitten by a snake. “I was taking her to hospital after she was bitten. She died on the way. We couldn’t get there on time. The other issue is the fact that the hospital we visit only serves villagers during office hours,” said Saeed.
Villagers not only live in isolation but also in darkness. Al-Berak is not connected to the electricity power grid; this means residents are forced to use electric generators that work for seven hours a day.
Aamir, a 70-year-old man, said a businessman has set up a generator and charges SR1,000 in connection fees. “We then have to pay SR230 a month to use the electricity. If we have air-conditioning units then we have to pay SR350,” he said.
“The generator only operates at specific times. We usually find ourselves in the dark after 8 p.m.,” he added.
Al-Hilali said the summer months could be especially tough when there is no electricity. “It’s particularly acute as Ramadan now comes in the summer months. Sometimes, we don’t have electricity and it’s so hot that we just go and sit in the mosque until it’s time to break fast. It’s harder on our women who find it difficult to fast and stay home,” he added.