Journey & Experience with F A C E Bangladesh

On March 25th, we started our journey with F A C E Bangladesh on the “100 Khudibari” project as volunteers. I had no idea what I would feel or how I would cope with the program at the time. I immediately noticed how fortunate I was to have been offered this opportunity so soon after completing my degree. I was more perplexed than ever because I had no prior experience with any type of construction or process. I wasn't sure what kind of practice I should be doing because I wasn't sure what kind of practice I would enjoy and thrive in. I am not sure about any of that, but this project and the people around this project really had a big impact on my overall view of what we should do and how it should be done. In school, I personally theorize and overthink about community engagement and practices to reach marginal communities. How would they react and how I would cope with them. Architecture for them, in my narrow view of the world, was nothing but luxury. But I was instantly proven wrong about some of my preconceived notions. Working for them provided me with invaluable, soul-satisfying experience as well as clarity of thought. We cannot develop a country if a large part of it remains underdeveloped. Our villages and communities are still the beating core of the country, yet we are more focused on developing the megacities and celebrating the flashy and picturesque structures we have been building. Here in Sunamganj, working close to nature with the community made me fall in love with the landscape and relationship with the river and haor basins. Still, nature rules and prevails over all the things there are.

Preparation at Daak Bungalow and Ratansree

This volunteering process involved with many hands-on experiences with highly experienced professionals and fellow volunteers to share many exciting techniques and views added to our minds. Along with them we visited the communities of the village ‘Ratarsree’ and created a community map of ‘Puran Aati’(Old settlement) with some ‘Alga Aatis’. Aalga Aatis are separated individual and small clustered settlements on newly raised base(ভিটি). We worked in the Daak Bungalow premise for first four weeks to prepare the parts for all the home expectees of the ‘Khudibari’. The basic structure, the preparation for roofs, velkis were on full swing during the time. It was often very crowed during the days as we were running an exhibition open for all about the previous khudibaris and the processes. From 26th March the exhibition received a fair share of interest in the area. People were genuinely interested about what it is and how we were working. They asked questions and raised some concerns as they were not seeing the complete structure; we tried to answer most of them. Then after some days the home expectees were seeing answering the questions raised and it was nice to see how they were owning their homes.

Work on the Site

We are working in the last weeks of ‘Chaitra’(চৈত্র) and during ‘Baishak’(বৈশাখ), their only seasonal crop is up for grab and all the villagers’ and our home expectees are also busy with their harvest. Eid was coming soon so we had to finish the project as well. But the environment was not helping the cause, as we were facing storms and electricity crisis almost every other day. The basic site work and structures were done when we were stopped for almost two days because of environmental crisis. One of our structures in Alga Aati was damaged heavily as it was not complete and had a fault in one of its welded joint. It was a massive learning for me personally as it shows how a small human error can lead to mammoth consequences. We changed the whole structure and planned to finish the full site in one day with new structure to avoid any kind of damage. It was something different when we put the wooden floor(পাটাতন) in the structures; the villagers were experiencing it for the first time and everyone was enjoying the new Khudibaris, though it was incomplete. The owners were showing their newly built home to their kith and kin. It was a sight to enjoy what we’ve put our last month into. Beauty Begum, Sabikunnisa, Ripon Miah and others were waiting for a roof to get shelter. They are using it now. We will complete the projects in the upcoming days, but it's nice to watch them use the only shelter they have dreamt of.

The Last Stretch

“Today is April 29th. This is supposed to be the last day of work at Tahirpur, Sunamganj for now. I woke up early at 5:45 and was still sitting alone in the Daak Bungalow. I am now looking at some random common views of the courtyard and the adjacent road. The world is changing in every instance. We heard the Daak Bungalow boundary wall will be demolished to create a new road. So it won’t be the same ever here. The people change, the situation changes, but still in these last few minutes, the world and universe around here seem at a standstill. We need to prepare the last sites and the work to bring a conclusion now. Let’s see how we can spend the day. I think it's going to be a long day.”

All these philosophies were buried as we were stuck for almost half day for an electricity crisis in one of the sites. For that we had to extend for another day to finish the works. We had to manage as there was a meet up meeting at the Daak Bungalow too, unfortunately I missed the meeting as we were on site. Leaving the site was the most difficult part as it was supposed to be the last time. After that we packed everything and called it a finish for now.

Life at Daak Bungalow 

It was like a home far from home. We shared the premise for more than one month as a family. The ideas we talked about, the jokes we made still ringing to this day. As volunteers we had a little idea about how and what it was going to be like. But the team leaders made sure we feel comfortable. The healthy nutritious food we ate were an unforgettable part of the experience, after some time it was so addictive that we almost made it our comfort food. The storm and rain were the constant companion during the time. We had some break now and then, the most memorable one is the one we attempted to visit Tangua Haor but stopped in the middle of a strong storm. Later we visited there in 'Pohela Boisakh', had a fun evening with all my fellow volunteers and team leaders. The talks and experiences I heard from the people around me really helped me became more confident and understanding in this small window of time. The local people visited us every evening and shared a significant amount of time listening to their life, the stories they told. Sunamganj has this raw ethos of music which mesmerized us every day. The raw an unfiltered voice of Ripon Miah was the most significant, he was also an expectee of Khudibari. The simplicity the man has in him really stayed with me. He was there the whole night waiting to tell us goodbye. He will stay in my mind forever.

Sometimes it was unbelievable where we were working. The beautiful green paddy fields were changing to golden with a grand background of Meghalaya hills. It really feels more like a painting that I will always admire. All our Khudibaris are in very beautiful sites, and I personally enjoyed the working and sweating hours as it made me more rooted to the belief of how beautiful my country is. After tiring day, the return boat rides eased our minds almost to a meditative state minus the sound of the engine. In a month the river changed the relationship between the landscape and the people changed. I felt the changes in me too, the confidence and the belief in me increased a lot but what truly changed is the appreciation for people and places, there is a fine line between having the empathy and showing that in a proper way. I leant about my shortcomings and the areas I need to put a lot more effort to develop me. These baby steps to explore architecture is fascinating and I appreciate every part of it. I am grateful to F A C E Bangladesh: “Foundation for Architecture and Community Equity” for giving us the opportunity and take us to this beautiful journey.

Mushabbir Muttaki