Had there not been the earthquake in April 2015, what factors could have brought change to the Bhangal community? How might the fate of the Bhangal community be different, if it wasn’t for this devastating catalyst and defining point? These were my main questions from the reading of How a municipality in Kathmandu gave the landless a break, which sparked a more in depth conversation with Sabin about the 2015 earthquake as a rupture point in time and space, in the lives of the Nepalese people, especially for members of the Bhangal community. How has this event and the associated experience strengthened people’s sense of community? Is there a boundary that defines this sense of community, or how does it extend amongst the informal settlements and beyond physical boundaries?
In the context of the Bhangal community, I wondered how people’s day-to-day lives may have strengthened their ties with each other, post-earthquake; perhaps they assisted each other in food preparation, or watched over each other’s children while the other went to work? I wondered what people’s hopes and dreams are, what do they look forward to doing in the future? What constitutes as happiness, to them?
In reflection of my own life, I have found the sense of community through school, recreational activities, internship, the Army, and other travelers whilst traveling; this nuanced sense of community seems to shift from one to another, depending on my location or activity. I strengthen my relationships within each community based on trust, communication, and open mindedness. I trust that a classmate will lend me a helping hand with assignments when needed; I share in the recreational activities with friends; I listened to other travelers’ stories and learn about our differences. But I am able to achieve these things, because I have a roof over my head, things to look forward to in the future, and not worried about my basic human survival needs; I am fortunate that my life is rather steady, and not ruptured by disasters or other traumatic events. What sort of sense of community or future state, do residents of the informal communities or people that were affected by the earthquake the most, see and seek?
Reshma’s drawing of her family
Reshma’s house