| dc.description.abstract |
Living along the coast of the Bay of Bengal is the Hindu Jele Das community. ‘Jele’
means fisher folk. They work with traditional methods, which they have learned from
their ancestors. The fisherfolk belong to a special sect of Hindus - ‘Das’, meaning slave.
They believe themselves to be slaves of water. Their choice of profession isn’t simply due
to their proximity to the ocean; it is intertwined with their belief, which dictates their
lifestyle. However, traditional fishing communities and practices have been neglected for
decades, leading the Jele Das community into poverty. The Jele Das community is
currently living along the coast of the Salimpur district in Bangladesh. Their historic ties
to this site make it a viable choice for the project. The exposed coast makes the Jele Das
vulnerable to natural disasters. However, they have learned to accept this uncertainty for
their love of fishing. Adjacent is a ship breaking yard. Issues faced on different scales
lead to the involvement of local government, NGO, and the local community. Finally, the
community’s finance, regulated by the NGO, will instill feelings of ownership within
individuals in material form. This financial involvement brings individuals closer to being
involved in the design process. This is in two spectrums: emotional and physical. As the
design is experimented in paper and models, their individual opinions and requirements
become parameters. These parameters are investigated by exploring the following;
individual and community aspirations, cultural and religious views, what strengths and
limitations the community members possess as individuals and community. Physical
involvement as local laborers in construction ties them to the process and provides
financial relief. This community finds itself at the intersection of tradition and modernity,
challenged by both the natural and manmade worlds. The design process highlights and
works on this dilemma, creating the possibility of multi-dimensional resiliency. |
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