Photographer Farida Alam captures the raw beauty of child birth in the Bede community
In Bangladesh, the nomadic community is known as Bede and is regarded as the river gypsies. The Bede community is severely deprived of bare necessities such as food, shelter, education, medical care, water and sanitation. Bede children who roam around the country with their parents, living in temporary shelters in the town side, fail to avail the opportunity of getting vaccinated and health services.
During their pregnancy the women of the Bede community are guided by traditional midwives as opposed to visiting doctors. It is a tradition of Bede community that children are delivered with the help of these midwives. When a woman endures labour pain, a group usually leaves their work and tends to her needs. Also, the other groups who go to work share their earning with the women who stay home. Such traditions and bonding make Bede people unique. This photo series depicts the birth of Bede woman, Dulary’s fifth child in Mawa, Bangladesh.
