THE sun was just rising. Several men were preparing carpentry tools. It was not a usual sight on the island. Normally they carry nets and oars, ready to go fishing. But on that day they were walking to a ‘new plot of land’ at the other end of the island.

It turned out that they were collectively building a new house for a young family, Tahir and his wife, Hayati. In the ethnic Bajo community, the bond of kinship remains very strong. When a