Bedža
Traditionally, Beja are nomadic people with a particular respect for animals, especially camels ,the most adorable animals for them. The animal is used as a source of milk, rarely meat and as a beast of burden and transportation. In addition to this, the ownership of camels is considered as a social asset in this classical society. Some Beja tribes ,such as the Amar'ar and especially Bisharyeen were able to develop very fine camel breeds widely recognized for speed and stamina. Famous race camel breeds raised by these tribes are Kilaiwaw, Banagir and Bram, just a few to mention. Moreover, camel race is a joyful event which is held in special occasions. Cattle husbandry is practiced by some Beja tribes ,namely the Hadandawa and Beni Amer. It is mostly found in locations rich with pasture and water, in agricultural areas and around urban centers where milk products are on high demand. The Gash and Butana regions are famous for their reputable cattle breeds with relatively high milk yield. Unfortunately, cattle is known for its high demand for forage. This limiting factor determines their presence in one location or another. Also the arid nature of the region restricts their distribution only in areas where plenty of forage is available. Sheep and goats are the dominant animal species for the majority of Beja households. They  are favored for their low management cost, quick reproductive turnover and high level of adaptability to marginal environment. Agriculture is a minor human activity for the Beja compared to animal husbandry. Cultivable land is restricted by the arid and mountainous nature of the region. Traditional agriculture, howver is practiced seasonally around the rain-fed wadis-valleys. The principal crop grown there is dura (sorghum spp) and occasionally dukhun(penniselum typhoides),the principal grain diet of the locals. It is served with milk ,rarely with butter. Meat is consumed in special ceremonies and at religious and social feasts. Most of the rural Beja ,as part of their traditional customs, do not eat fish, chicken or eggs. Also vegetables and fruits are almost missing from their daily diet. Therefore, it is very natural to see a large portion of people suffering from deficiency diseases, the commonest of which are malnutrition, chronic anemia, night blindness and tuberculosis. On the other hand ,organized agricultural schemes were introduced to the region at the time of the Anglo-Egyptian colonial rule. They are found in seasonally-flooded areas, such as the Gash and Toker deltas. The main cash-crop in these schemes is cotton. Some sedentary people benefited from these agricultural operations. Settlements, education and health services were some of the direct rewards. After independence, however these schemes were neglected and limited ,non-periodical rehabilitation trials were ,so far ,fruitless. Consequently, many residents left these areas for better and more economically rewarding places such as Port Sudan, Kassala or Gadarif. After being landlords they became now temprary workers. The situation created by mechanized agriculture in Gadarif, Rahad, the Gash and Toker delta, and recently in Khashm Al-Girba is that these schemes have been expanded on the expenses of the traditional grazing reserve of the local tribes. The impact of this is obvious in restricting free nomadic movement for better grazing conditions. This produced a severe blow to animal husbandry and dramatically contributed to the qualitative and quantitative expansion of animal population in the region and hence the well-being of the locals. Another area of human activity in the Beja region is presented by a small number of Beja individuals who are involved in non-agro-pastoral activites. These include small-scale merchants, teachers, watchmen, government employees, and port workers at Port Sudan and Suakin dockyards. The income generated from these jobs is insignificant to contribute to the overall wellbeing of the population. Again the absorption of the Beja in these jobs is greatly hindered by the high level of illiteracy. More important in this regard is the unskilled agro-pastoral background of the Beja which makes for them difficult, if not impossible to compete with better trained non-Beja immigrant for limited or already saturated job market. The problem of the Beja should not be viewed only through one angle .Factors, such as tradition, social habits, life styleةetc, should not be ignored. The Beja are very reluctant to migrate to more productive areas as has been proposed by some colonial as well as national administrators. Land is a major issue for them and their life style is adorably admired. It is truly stated by one observer "The Hadandawa's love for their land ,life style, harsh and difficult as it may seem to outsiders, is notorious". For better or worse the Eastern Region is one of the most attractive regions in the Sudan, namely in the area of job opportunities. This makes it even harder for the Beja to compete with the better-skilled non-Beja influx to the region. The irony in this equation is that an entire population is severely struck by confiscating their graze land for mechanised agriculture, destruction of environment eg by mining gold and pouring senyde in the land which caused diseases to the people, drought and desertification, lost more than 80% of their animal wealth, the backbone of their existence, and almost totally displaced to urban areas, did not receive an applauding reception either. Mine fields in the borders enforced people to desert their villages, graze lands and farms, which made them jobless and homless in the margins of big towns. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT The aim of any human development program is to raise a healthy and educated person who can positively interact with his environment. This can be achieved by several methods, the most important of which are health care and education. In the area of health, It is important to indicate the sharp contrast between the rural and urban areas in regard of the existing health facilities. Rural health care is primitive or almost non-existent, while urban health institutions, although very poor still not affordable for the majority of the Beja. The health picture of the Beja has been complicated by long-standing malnutrition aggravated by lack of basic medical knowledge. This lead to many disease conditions characterized by delivery complications, abortions ,stillbirth, increased neonatal mortality and decreased level of reproductivity. There are many diseases in the Eastern Region which attract much medical attention. The most serious of which are tuberculosis and malaria. Historically, medical circles in the Sudan and WHO singled out the Eastern Sudan as the one region with the highest incidence of tuberculosis in the country. Dietary habits and poor living and working conditions may contribute to this. The stable diet of the Beja consists of dura and small amount of milk which is deficient in essential nutritional components, notably protein and vitamins. Vegetables and fruits are rarely consumed, if ever. There are well documented cases where members of entire families were wiped away by this notorious illness. This again speaks about the lack of basic medical services, specially sustained child vaccination program against this and others diseases in rural communities. Malaria, on the other hand, poses a serious threat to the medical profession. At moment, it is considered as the single most killer for the population, particularly in the Eastern Region of the Sudan. Uncontrolled population migration, severe environmental deterioration, poor sanitary conditions- all together contributed to the epidemics of the disease. Education is another field of an absolute prerequisite for meaningful social development. The Beja were introduced to systematic education since their adoption of Islam. Early Beja were taught Qur'an-the holy book and other Islamic principles by the honest devoted moslem settlers in their region. Eventually, the process has been elaborated and some centuries back Sheikh Hamid Melhetkinabi established his first famous masjid(mosque), in Khor Baraka.This masjid was called Berri misgid(the wide or grand masjid )and was a flourishing Islamic school. The last half of the previous century, witnessed the appearance of the charismatic local religious leader Sheikh Ali Betai in Hamash Kuraib-a small, previously unknown village in Kassala State. He started his Islamic school, in that remote, very poor inhospitable environment. His khalwa (Islamic school)is now a distinguishable widely recognized learning institution, not only for the Sudan but also for many neighboring African countries. Many khalwas, of similar nature and purposes are now scattered all over the Eastern Region and many people since then have been graduated from these schools. Attraction of the Beja's students to the khalwas was motivated by their deep devotion to Islam facilitated by their local teachers who were not hesitant at any moment to simplify Islamic principles from Arabic to their own languages.