Adong Nicolina, 25, shares her house with her husband, Napolo, her four children, three children from a diseased wife, and two orphaned nephews. With nine children to look after it is a wonder that she has time to make her terrific beads. She left her village seven years ago after the rebels killed 57 people in one night. When asked if she has enough to eat she replied that she could not always feed her family every meal but that they had “enough to close the eyes”.

Nicolina works in the quarry as well as making beads. Napolo is very fond of proverbs and shared a few with me when I visited their neat and clean two room home. Here are a few of them.

“Aboka Lam” literally “narrating light” means even though I am telling you in words you can not fully understand. “Bolo upuk ipi”, “Throwing the tortoise in the water” means giving something that is wanted when you are trying to punish someone.“Gang pa lakolo pe pang” means an arrogant home may not be full of people.

They are keeping their language and their culture alive by teaching their children these and other proverbs.