Thursday, March 29, 2007

Language of play



On a team site visit recently to an informal settlement* I met these kids who were having a great afternoon mucking around the neighbourhood. Initially I was pretending to pay attention to the talk about the development of the settlement, but actually playing a bit of a game with these kids from afar, copying each others dance moves across the yard. Eventually I went over to speak to them, of course we couldn't understand each other very well when using words but an attempt at sign language had them laughing and playing along. Of course, they all know about cameras and posing!

*an 'informal settlement' is a reasonably misunderstood and contested description for a neighbourhood that is most likely illegally constructed, with a lack of services, lack of secure tenure and usually the domain of the urban poor. I used to think it related only to shanty or squatter towns of self made housing using scrap materials such as those seen in Asia, Africa or South America. However in Kosovo, they can often look like any other neighbourhood with standard houses and electricity and water connected, some even have large brick buildings of several levels, grand fences and gates and expensive cars parked in them!
What defines them as informal here is more likely to be the illegal aspects of the development on land owned by the government or other people and in areas not planned for development.

1 comment:

Gervy said...

Cute kids, but they need a makeover. Does the UN employ makeover artists? If so, I might volunteer.