The livelihoods that sustain us
The Päri people practice farming, and they grow sorghum, beans, simsim okra, and pumpkin, with the sorghum [Nyithin] being the main staple food. Using both individual and communal labour, they cultivate in two seasons–April to September, and December to February. As a result, the Pari people produce large supplies of sorghum for both subsistence and sale. For example, the Pari supplied large quantities of sorghum to Torit, Juba and Khartoum in the 1970s and 1980s, and cotton to the Anzra Cotton Industry in the 1950s. Since 2005, the Pari have been facing food insecurity due to the climate change crises, including drought, flooding and locusts. This is exacerbated by the lack of support to boost farming.
”Päri should not be destroyed because it is a food basket!”. This song was composed in 1980s.
Apart from farming, the Pari rear domestic animals, including cattle, goats, sheep, and chicken. While goats, sheep, and chickens are kept at home, cattle are kept in a kraal (kalo) and are moved in search of water and pasture. Although cattle, goats and sheep are kept for milk production and marriages, they also sell them during hunger times and slaughter them for sacrifices, including during funerals, initiation ceremonies and blood compensation (kwoor).
The Pari fish in the Atondi and Col (kiniti) rivers from December to March. Fishing often takes place at designated fishing grounds with the consent of the fishing ground owners. To fish, they use fishing methods, such as spear(s) (bidhi pl. bithe)), hook(s) (goolo pl. goole), basket (s) (urwath pl. urwathi), grass-thatched bundle(s) (udhuulu), a hole trap ( twier pl. twichi) and a wooden trap(rwook) and water path (keek). The main types of fish include mudfish and tilapia, which are either smoked (Adunga pl.Adunge) or dried and dissected (adanga pl. adange ) or dried as a whole (akuuda pl. akuude). The Pari fish (Smaga Pari) is delicious and in high demand in Torit and Juba. However, large-scale fishing is hampered by the lack of modern fishing tools and road and market access challenges.
Another livelihood practice is the hunting of wild animals in designated hunting grounds.With the consent of hunting ground owners, they hunt mainly antelopes betweenDecember and April to change their diet and to deter animal encroachment into their farms and homesteads. Although individuals can hunt, communal hunting is highly practiced, but hunting is banned between May to November because it is believed to lead to crop failure, and those who violate the ban are held accountable by Wegi Paach.The Pari traditionally used spears to hunt. Currently, some individuals, including from different parts of South Sudan, are involved in gun-related poaching, especially along the border between Lafon and Juba.
The Pari people also depend on gathering. As their land is endowed with natural products, the Pari collect wild fruits and vegetables, such as gum arabic (dowo pl. dwok), desert date (thow pl. thowo), wild vegetables (Adoo),and honey (kic). They use these products for both consumption and sale.
The Pari engage in barter trade with their neighbours, including the Lopit, the Lotuko, the Lokoya and the Bari, and their main tradable items include cattle, goats, sheep, chicken, fish and sorghum as well as pots, groundnuts. They also use cash to buy soap, oil, and beads among others. The trade has been limited by the lack of road and market access.
The Päri people practice farming, and the crop they group include sorghum, beans, okra, pumpkin among others, with the sorghum [nyithin] being the main stable. Though they produce for subsistence, they at times produce surplus, which are then sold.
The Päri also rear animals such as cattle, goats, sheep and chicken. Although cattle are purely kept for marriage, they are also sold especially during lean season. Apart from that, the Päri also sacrifice bulls during the funeral of an adult, initiation of the new Wegi
The Päri also carry out fishing, which takes place during dry seasons (Dec-March) at Atoned and Col rivers. Once the fish is caught, it is either smoked or dried before it is eaten or sold out.
During the dry season (Dec to March), the Päri depend on hunting in designed hunting grounds. Traditionally, Pari used spear to hunt animals for meat, such as antelop, etc. However, this has changed due to the availability of guns.
The Päri also depend on gathering of wild fruits and vegetables, such as desert dates and acacia gum from the forest. As there’s a lack of market or access to far market, the exploitation of these goods remains low.
The Päri trade with its neighbours, including Latuko, Lopit, Lokoya and Bari. The trade involves either barter or cash trade, and the traded items, including sorghum, goats, fish among others. Besides that the Pari people also travel as far as Torit and Juba to sell chicken, goats, cattle and fish. However, the trading between Lafon and Torit and Juba normally takes place during dry season as the Torit-Lafon and Mugire-Lafon road become impassable.
