Daowd

Masalit Darfur, Sudan

Masalit, also known as Masarak, is a Nilo-Saharan language of Western Darfur. The number and present location of Masalit speakers today is uncertain, as many have been among the refugees fleeing Darfur for Chad and beyond. In refugee camps and the Darfuri diaspora, Arabic is the common language. As refugees shift to Arabic and English in the United States, the native languages of Darfur grow silent.

Daowd Saleh is a human rights activist from Geneina, now based in New Jersey. Daowd has been fighting for the survival of his people and his language since the beginning of the Darfur conflict two decades ago.