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We plant tomatoes, wheat, alfalfa , and sesame
and everything, but now we can't plant anything.
This palm tree used to create dates
but ever since the water started to dry out, the palm
trees began to dry and dry, until its heart dried out
so it's as you can see. And the same with all these
other palm trees too. Of course when the water dried the ground stopped giving and was destroyed.
So even the dates, which we used to pick a couple in the morning and eat and drink with them some water
cannot be eaten. All the palm trees are dying as you can see.
As you can see all the land is empty on your left and right and in front and behind.
The land is empty and now doesn't have any plants. It used to be farmed in the summer and winter.
But now there are illegal constructions on our water source ('Bahr Gargaba')
illegal encroachments from business men and investors who have claimed land for themselves.
They use motors to raise the water up and steal our water, it doesn't reach us now as you can see.
The land here is ready to be farmed, but people have left it because there is no water.
Our youth migrated to Libya and they didn't come back even during the revolution there because
here they are dying and there they are dying, so why come back.
Our land has been like this for 10 years, growing only thistle, when it used to grow tomatoes, sesame
and corn and wheat... but today is just creates thistle.
I want to say something - all the political parties come down to the area and the candidates meet us and say
they will help and bring back the water and remove the illegal constructions, but no one does anything.
President Dr. Mohamed Morsi came to Fayoum and said he knew about our problem well and that the file was
in front of him, but until now he has not solved anything.
This land has been more than 10 years without being farmed. We are not demanding compensation
we are demanding our rights that have been missing for 10 years, we want the water back as it used to be.
We are demanding that our officials come and support us. That's all.
Where are we supposed to eat and drink from?
This is our land, the water that has been taken from us is our right.
We are not demanding anything other than our rights. The criminals and investors are taking our water
Our problem can be summed up in a few words: the removal of the illegal constructions.
These people don't have a right to farm on this land. We have a right to this land - we pay taxes, they don't.
They hadn't farmed here until 2005, we have farmed here since the days of the Paschas, the days of
Mohamed Ali and his children and grandchildren.
Wherever you point the camera left or right you'll see barren land as far as you can see.
And where we are now this is one of 30 parts just like this which makes up 10,000 feddans of barren land.
It's been more than 5 years without water. We get a very small amount in the winter.
Perhaps enough if you have 10 feddans you can get maybe farm on one feddan. And even then just wheat.
Why? Because during the winter the land on the hills that are taken by these men from the old regime
they leave it during the winter, but in the summer they have plants and they consume all the water.
Our rights to the water are taken by them. All that is being demanded is for the water to reach us.
That's all, all of the demands of all of these people and the owners of the 10,000 feddans, is just water.
We're not asking for anything more than that.