Umme Habiba

Saleha Akter Urmi; [Facilitator]

Domestic animals at our home (embroidery)

Fultola (embroidery)

Embroidery (EMB)

Decorative

Umme Habiba likes hoitor (pigeons) best of all the animals. Her house used to be filled with pigeons. In the evening, all the pigeons would fly in the sky together. She liked gazing at that scene very much; it gave pleasure to her mind. She also liked the sound of the pigeons cooing and the sight of them kissing. She also enjoyed eating hoitoror durus (roasted pigeon).

When asked what new projects they wanted to work on, the artisans suggested embroidering domestic animals. In Myanmar, the women rarely left their houses and kept chickens, pigeons, cows and goats as pets. Each family had about 60-70 chickens, 30-50 cows and a separate house for pigeons, but now they are not allowed to have pets in the camp. They never had to buy meat back home, but when they go to buy meat at the camp they are reminded of the animals they left behind. This project is a way for the women to portray and document their beloved pets left behind in Myanmar, so that the future generation can see them.