[Asalamu alaikoum! I have read this thread with GREAT interest masha'Allah! Begging my husband now for us to go..Insha'Allah ya rab!

Insha'allah sis!!



1. Can we relax the niqab or take it off altogether once we are in class?

The lessons are all segregated, so yes, the niqab is taken off in class because it's just all women there

2. Are there flushing type toilets?

If you want a flushing type toilet you can just put it in your house when you build insha'allah, otherwise they are not that common.

3. My kids are young, 4 and 1 1/2, is there anything for them to do? Of course I'd want them to attend classes as well but how much of a disturbance would others consider them to be? (my older one is not rambunctious, but the younger one is little and loves to explore) or do they just generally play with other kids in teh village during non-class hours?
They have many many classes for little ones, and children as young as 4 attend them. If you have any younger children, you can take them along with you to your classes, just bring something for them to play with or something to keep them occupied. You will see many sisters bringing their little ones along with them to class, it's not a problem. And during non class hours, yes, the kids play with the others on the streets lol.

4. what bout emergencies? is there ambulance services or clinic in case anyone gets really sick ? (we tend to go for natural rememdies anyway but some cases you really need expert help)
There isn't an ambulance, but there is a clinic right in the village which provides all basic medical needs.

5. are there midwives around? or do most women just assist each other in labour/birth ?
They have many midwives.

6. are there any other bigger towns/cities where jobs would be available? (we dont have savings and would need some ongoing income to let's say, eat?lol)
That's the problem, there are no jobs in Dammaj and the nearest city is like 1/2 an hours drive away (Sa'da), but I dont know whether foreigners take up jobs there? most usually it is in Sana'a the capital which is a 6 hours drive away.

7. Is there internet or phone access in the village/in your own home if u choose to? to keep in touch with family etc
Sure, there's internet and phone however right now because of the war things are cut off, insha'allah they will be restoring it soon.

8. how come you dont have to pay for electricity/water? who pays it? is it *running* water or is it more like you have to go get it ? also for electricity, is it off or on most of the time?

The electricity is a donation from the people who provide the generator. And as for the water.......well....It's not controlled by the gov'ment or anything, the villagers just dig a big well and hook up a pump and then you just fix up your own water connections. The electricity is not on for all hours, during the day it is off, but then it turns on at maghrib time and stays on until like 11pm.

wow i want to go to

jazak Allahukhairn sis!
thought of something else..
what about banks? would i be able to go say once a month to get money from my account in Canada?

also, 1/2 hour drive is not too bad..hubby commutes more than that now..i guess I could check it out..jazak Allahu khairn

sorry also whats the weather like? would i have to pack winter clothes too?

10. how do we cook? would we be able to purchase a stove from sana?
You would purchase a gas stove from Sana'a, the prices vary, but you can get a full cooking range with an oven if you wanted. However, you would have to keep in mind that stoves run on gas canisters, so an oven would take a lot of gas. Most families have a traditional tandoor oven, which can also be purchased in Sana'a. I would also recommend a pressure cooker, buy one here, if you can. Most lentils and beans there require the extra help!

11. In general, is it a friendly-, takes-a-village-to-raise-a-child atmosphere? ie. do the sisters help each other out? cook together, spend time socializing etc withthe kids as well?
The camaradarie amongst the sisters is excellent, masha Allah, and they become like your family. I have many fond memories of the sisters there, as I'm sure they all do. I love them all for the sake of Allah. You may find that you will mostly socialize with other foreign sisters, however, until you begin to pick up more of the language. Nonetheless, the Yemenis are friendly and very neighbourly. My Yemeni neighbours used to invite me over in the evenings for tea and a chat. I used to look forward to it and I miss it still.

12. for private arabic or quran classes what is the general cost?
Tuition is free, alhamdullillah. The only condition is that when you are eventually able to teach other sisters, you teach, and that is the only exchange for learning from other sisters!
13. where would we get clothing? I'd bring some with me for the next year insha'Allah but if we decided to stay longer, the kids grow so fast, is there somewhere close by? could I also bring my sewing machine..is the electricity 'strong' enough to handle that?
I know a sister who had a sewing machine, but she did have a generator in her house, so I believe she powered it on that. The generators run on gasoline, so it won't be cheap. Clothing is generally of a poor quality. I sew as well, so when I was in Sana'a, I would look for material with which to sew. Unfortunately, the only decent material tends to be either for men's thobes or for women's wedding dresses. The rest of it is usually polyesters of very cheap quality and design. I would suggest that if you can, you arrange to have family members or friends send parcels of clothing periodically.

You asked about banks. There are no banks in Dammaj, and I believe there is one in Sa'ada, but it is very very unlikely that you will ever go there, unless you are of Somali or Yemeni descent, since Sa'ada is not considered safe for foreigners (many have been caught and arrested there). Sana'a is safer, and you have several international banks there, from which you can withdraw American currency (greenbacks are king in Yemen). Since the drive is four hours away, and very expensive for foreigners, you won't likely make the trip very often. I recommend that your husband find out from someone in the city what are the current prices like in Dammaj (since they fluctuate) and withdraw money accordingly. Exchange about half of it at a currency place in Sana'a (try to get 500 rial notes instead of 1000 rial notes). Leave the rest in American dollars, since it is most stable that way, and once you exchange currency into rials, you tend to make a loss on it. The rate is 190 Yemeni Rials to 1 American dollar, give or take a few rials

As for winter clothes, I would recommend packing loads of thick socks and sweaters. Layering is key in Yemen. The climate is generally mild and warm, but in the winters the air has a definite bite. The important thing is to protect the children's heads and chests from the cold. It's different from Canadian cold, which only hits the skin. The cold in Yemen gets into the bones. Long sleeves are really important, as the sun is strong, but make sure to buy most of the children's clothes in light colours. This deters sunlight and mosquitoes and also makes insect easy to spot.

Also, make sure to get MOSQUITO NETS!!!! lol...the sisters who remember me will remember that I learned that the hard way

Do you know of any summer (arabic in particular) courses in Yemen (Sanaa)? How long are they and when do they start? And how much do you learn by the end of it?

Also if there is a website i would be grateful

Jazakallah khair in advance

There are a couple in Sana'a:

http://www.sialyemen.com/
http://www.arabicinyemen.com/
http://www.y.net.ye/cales/welcome.htm

.... That's in the Mezra'ah.

In some places in the Maktabah a few people have bought "Motors/Generators" so they charge you denpending on how many light bulbs and all you have in your house.
These Motors go on just before Maghrib and turn off at around 11pm.

It's really cheap though, It's approx 1,000-2,000YR's a month.

Orr what's happened recently is; that at some parts the Motor runs 24hours a day, minus the three times the sheikh's lesson's on.. and that's for 1,500yr's a month.

(360 Yemeni Riyals = 1 Pound.)

In regards to finances, if you are planning on living there for a long time, and not going to have financial assistance from anyone back home, think of money like a yemeni. What's expensive for a yemeni, is expensive for you. Food, when translated from yemeni currency into dollars is actually more expensive in yemen, and it will possibly end up to be your most significant expense. Also, if you are planning on eventually leaving Yemen, remember that you will pay a hefty fine to leave, there is a way to get it reduced, but it won't be by much, because they want your money. be practical in your expenses.

i meant to say that food is more expensive in yemen than it is in north america.

Is the fine like a bribe because they know you're going back to the west?

no, it's just a fine, it applies to anyone who lives in the country without a visa. But it is somewhat of a catch, since they will never give you a visa. Actually, in retrospect, it's cheaper to pay the fine than to buy a visa. Also, if you enter through "legitimate" means by applying at a mahad, the mahad will take your passport from you (which is illegal under international law) but you don't have any choice in that. They won't let you leave the mahad to go to Dammaj, because when you do, they lose money. Several brothers we've known actually had to run away from the mahads they were studying at. So it's a bit of a catch.

The mahads don't actually have any organized classes, and many of the brothers who paid premium fees to attend the mahads ended up having private lessons (for free) with students from Dammaj. I taught one such sister whilst I was in Yemen because although the mahad had promised her a tutor, they didn't deliver on that.

Yemen is not a culture that deals with bureaucracy well. This is why Dammaj is so successful there, because it eliminates all forms of administration and bureaucracy. It is set up in a very old-fashioned way, masha Allah, may Allah increase the students there with ilm, and fill their hearts with ikhlaas.

For those looking for more formal avenues of study, Egypt is probably the better choice. From what I've heard from students who have lived in both countries, it is also cheaper.

Jazaak Allaah khayr.


Is Damaaj also changing and becoming more modern quickly now? Since you mentioned once that they have swimming pools there aswell in some houses? If it becomes modern - it will lose that classical and rural aspect to it, but wouldn't that be more of an advantage in some ways since there would be less of a culture shock and some aspects of life would become easier inshaa Allaah.

But i've noticed that the places where 'modern society' catches up, alot of the barakah is lost from there. Allaahu a'lam if thats true.

lol...there will always be a culture shock. modern in dammaj is not like modern in dubai. consider that sana'a is what the rest of the world was 100 years ago, with the exception of mobile phones and internet. so dammaj is still trying to catch up to that. it never will really, since most yemenis are tied very strongly to their roots, and they love the village life. Alhamdullillah, dammaj is unique because of the student life there, and no matter how much it changes, it will never change in that aspect, insha Allah.

Also, I know that some say that there are swimming pools there, but one must keep in mind that this is a desert country. at times, in the village, we go without water for days. this is customary in all arab countries, so although you may have a pool, it will stand dry quite often. Water is a commodity in Arab countries. And though the Dammajis are blessed to be able to dig more wells than most villages around them, you will still never be able to consume water as you do in the west.

From what I have heard, it has changed very dramatically since my stay there. it is easier to get a hold of american food products, like ketchup and mustard, since the yemenis have caught on to our tastes, and have started to bring those products in.

By the way, if any of you would like to get a look at dammaj on google earth, enter the following co-ordinates in to the "Fly to" section of the search bar: " 16.8931, 43.8072" It should take you to the location of Dammaj.