Nuba Dessa : Land & Culture Regeneration Project

Nuba Dessa means Green Nubia in Nubian dialect, and is a project led by Tarek Asela, a native of Heissa Island who has the vision of reinstating the way of life he remembers from his grandmother - a lifestyle for the indigenous peoples of Southern Egypt & Sudan to live symbiotically with the land once again.

During the damming of Lake Nasser, 44 Nubian villages and 50,000 people were displaced, along with the annual natural flooding of the Nile which bought fertility to the lands to grow food and nourish the local people.

The River Nile is an essential lifeline to those living along its shores, as the rainfall is only 0.861mm per year!

The Nubian population now rely on supplies from the city, but without the same opportunities in education, and the natural fertility of the land taken away, it makes sustaining a thriving way of life challenging for these beautiful, heart-centered and community-focused people.

Furthermore, the limited land remaining in indigenous people's hands is under threat from the recent tourism spotlight on Aswan, and many indigenous people are giving away their land to investors to build hotels on long-term leases without an understanding of how this will affect culture and lives in the long run.

Nuba Dessa holds the vision of a green Nubia, thriving in community culture.

To achieve this, we are raising funds to kickstart the movement. Funding and donations will go to this vision:

1. Zoning of 3 areas on Heissa Island in Aswan as Green Zones.

2. Installation of Solar Powered water pumps to move water from the Nile to Green Zones.

3. Appointment and training program for local team to maintain edible gardens for future generations to enjoy - educating the importance of thinking and acting in a sustained way that will benefit the future.

4. Microfinancing to local projects & assistance in bringing entrepreneurial & cultural visions to life.

5. Development of a cultural centre to display Nubian artwork, crafts, stories and practices, with a vision of boosting tourism of those wanting to connect with the Nubian heritage.

Fundraiser built by Therese Lowton of Australia, in support of Tarek Asela & the Nubian people. All funds go to Tarek to manage the plan on Heissa Island.