once we reaching the clearing, the rest of the journey was on foot. somewhere inside those hills are the refugees settlement.
this was the first 'home' that i came by. the burmese dude was busy repairing a bicyle. bicyles are the only source of transportation for them. they salvaged these bikes from dumpsites an repair themselves. there are 8 people living in this tent alone. and the nearest water source is 20 mins walk away.
further down is the chapel where they have their weekly mass. the chapel doubles up as a clinic whenever the health team visits the place.
the chapel standing here is a testimony of their faith in god. in the midst of all their hardship and oppression, they still found time and place for god in their lives. they have a pastor here who is a refugee himself.
on the other side of the hill, you'll get these clusters of tents known as 'kongsi.' each kongsi houses between 12-30 people depending on its size.
living conditions here are deplorable. the blue canvas which forms the roof and wall of these tents barely protects them from rain. and now being the monsoon month, i really dont know how they are holding up.
skin diseases are a norm for these people cause of constant exposure to the external environment. somehow or rather, dengue and malaria are not a common occurence (all though there are a few cases) here. maybe they have develop resistant towards those diseases.
clean water supply and basic sanitation is a real problem. they dont access to clean water and their only source of water are three wells dung up recently. since they dont have a toilet, they have designated a specific area for you take a dump. each well serves a different purpose. one if for cooking and drinking. one more if for bathing and washing. another is for you to 'cebuk.'
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