Peace and Order

We visited the BSJ community on the 18^th of February, 2012, where we interviewed residents about peace and order in their community. We discovered that the main issue in their community was stealing and insecurity due to lack of proper doors and windows. An example of one such incident was when a theft took place at the house of a young girl. The incident happened at 1:30 am, when the thief entered the house through the curtained entrance, and stole two handphones. Another thing that they are scared of is a fire which might burn down their community. This fear is due to a previous incident almost a year ago caused by a candle  which burnt down their houses and resulted in the death of one person. If a fire occurs, it will be very easy to spread throughout the community as the houses are made of wood and are very close together.

When asked about what happens in the community at night, the kids told us that their neighbourhood itself was safe but there were some fights amongst family members due to financial problems, and other domestic issues. They felt that the people in their communities were helpful and did not have any issues amongst themselves. Most people slept by 8 – 9 pm and there wasn’t much activity afterwards. However, outsiders intruded the community sometimes and created trouble. Drunk outsiders were a cause of issue for young girls sometimes. This caused concern amongst their parents who were their main caregivers. They were content with the amount of policemen, guards etc. and felt they did respond to them when they needed help. Overall they felt safer in their communities in comparison to when they went outside eg. to work or school.

We felt that to tackle their main concern, their houses should be built with sturdy doors and windows. This would help them feel safer and prevent theft. The people in the BSJ community were very enthusiastic and co-operative. They readily showed us around and were very hospitable and polite. We were concerned by the fact that many children were walking barefoot in muddy corridors between houses. The houses were extremely close to each other with very little walking space in between. Many houses did not have proper roofs. Another thing that shocked us was that there were ten people staying in an extremely small room, and when asked what they wanted to change, they said it would be their houses. They wanted bigger and safer homes to live in.

It was a fruitful and rewarding experience. We learned a lot about the problems and issues that  comunities like BSJ face, and about the importance of feeling safe in one’s own home, which can be achieved by installing secure doors and windows. We hope that the BSJ community has improvements in areas that they feel they need to be helped in. What was inspiring was that despite the conditions they were living in, the people of the BSJ community were very positive and optimistic. Not once did they complain about their lives and were ready to share any information with us and welcome us into their homes. They kept their spirits up the entire time and told every story with a smile. J

A house with no roof

Open window with only a curtain

A small house