Le village Megheira y renoue

The Megheira village reconnects there

Timechret or lewziaa in Kabylie

In Kabylia, the practice of Timechret, an ancestral tradition consisting of sacrificing oxen and distributing the meat equitably to all households, on the occasion of the launch of the plowing season, continues. This ritual highlights solidarity and mutual aid, demonstrating the capacity of local communities to organize themselves to provide for the needs of all. This ritual, a unifying event which strengthens the links between the citizens of the villages and a great moment of conviviality which arouses strong emotion and strengthens community links, was observed last Friday, in the village of Megheira, in Ait Khellili, in the daïra of Mekla, in the south-east of the wilaya of Tizi Ouzou. On the initiative, to quote one of the organizers, Jugurtha Hellal, of a group of young people. Twelve calves, offered by generous benefactors of the village, were sacrificed for the occasion.
That day, Megheira, a village of more than 5,000 inhabitants, vibrated to the rhythm of a colorful event placed under the sign of conviviality and living together in peace and solidarity. The inhabitants of the village but also those residing in other wilayas of the country and even abroad, met at the village square where the twelve calves were sacrificed, the day before, in the presence of a big day crowd, happy to reconnect with the ancestral values ​​of mutual aid and unity. “Honestly, I didn’t expect such a mobilization. I can’t wait for these kinds of initiatives to multiply,” said a retired executive from Algeria Telecom. Welcoming, in passing, the impact caused by this grandiose event. All along the artery leading from wilaya 250 road to the village square, volunteers took turns depositing pieces of meat, cut, this organizer insisted, by volunteer butchers who took care of the slaughter and butchering, for each of the 514 lots (shares) to be distributed, stored on eucalyptus leaves, under the gaze of those present, of all ages. Traditional cakes including donuts cooked in olive oil, but also pancakes, hard and soft, as well as soft and mineral drinks, offered on occasion by the villagers, are offered to those present, self-service. As well as numerous traditional cuisine dishes, carefully prepared at home for the occasion to stimulate the taste buds of those present.
This ancestral ritual not only revived the bonds of friendship and fraternity between residents, but also transmitted a strong message, that of young people aware of the importance of solidarity and social cohesion in community development. By reconnecting with ancestral values ​​of mutual aid and unity, the Megheira village has proven, once again, that the strength of a village lies in the attachment of its children to their roots and their community. When the long-awaited event arrives, all the villagers gather. Even people who have gone elsewhere do not miss this opportunity to come and rediscover the atmosphere of the village.
Timechret consolidates social ties and reaffirms solidarity between villagers
It all started from a simple discussion between friends around the idea of ​​organizing a day that would bring together the inhabitants of the village, says this organizer. “It was a group of young people who had the idea of ​​launching a quest in the village to raise funds with a view to organizing an offering, a couscous, in order to bring together all the citizens of the village,” he said. Noting that in just two weeks, we managed to mobilize all the necessary energies to bring this initiative to life. “We ended up with a staggering sum, almost 900 million centimes,” rejoiced Jugurtha Hellal, assuring that it is the village which is mobilizing in an impeccable organization, where each group tackles a very specific task.
For this organizer, this unifying event of village citizens, which calls on the generosity of all the children of the village, helps strengthen ties. This is the very essence of social justice as it implies egalitarian sharing without distinction of age (adult, child, infant), sex (man, woman), residence (village, city, foreigner, etc.), social level. “Timechret consolidates social ties and reaffirms solidarity between villagers,” he said.
The president of the Kabylie Sports Youth (JSK), in the spotlight
Highlight of this event, the arrival of the president of the JSK, Lhadi Ould Ali, highly praised by the villagers for his presence at this event but also and above all for the work accomplished within the club. It was during the delivery of the lots (shares) of meat to the villagers, eager to immortalize this moment.
On October 10, two calves out of the six, graciously offered by benefactors of the village, were sacrificed on the altar of solidarity to prepare waada, couscous, in a fraternal atmosphere. Hundreds of people, residents of Megheira, those from neighboring villages and even guests from neighboring communities were invited to this event organized to strengthen social ties. “We spent almost none of the funds raised. Practically everything is supported by donors,” observed Jugurtha Hellal. Wishing that this dynamic continues with the aim of establishing an organized framework for the interest of the village.
In a warm and sincerely fraternal atmosphere, the inhabitants of the village, joined by visitors from neighboring localities, but also other inhabitants of the village residing in other regions of the country and even abroad, shared in joy and conviviality a tasty couscous prepared for the occasion.
This initiative carried out by young people to promote union, solidarity and living together was strongly welcomed by the villagers, relieved to see the youth of their village involved in the village organization and determined to take up the torch kept lit by the elders. “Megheira is a village which has always strived to consolidate the cohesion of its inhabitants through, in particular, the preservation of ancestral values ​​bequeathed by our ancestors,” he added, estimating that the involvement of youth in the organization of the village is important to maintain a certain social cohesion characterized by solidarity, the sharing of common values ​​and the preservation of traditions in order to maintain the spirit of solidarity and mutual aid.
Rabah Mokhtari