This project began as a personal exploration of my sense of home, identity and belonging. Though I have Indian and Burmese roots, Lusaka is where I was born and brought up. Kunyumba involves photographing, filming and interviewing the domestic workers that my family employs. They are the reason why Zambia feels like home to me.

     I had only ever known each person in this project within the context of my own “nyumba”. In order for me to understand their lives outside of their workplace, I visited each person and their families in the context of their “nyumba”. Photographing and conversing about this part of their life made me acutely aware of their homes and living situations, more-so than in all the previous years of knowing them.

     Kunyumba is a tribute and exploration of my relationship with the people who split their lives between my house and theirs for sake of making a livelihood. They are home to me.

     This project is a personal exploration of my sense of home, identity and belonging. Though I have Indian and Burmese roots, Zambia is where I was born and brought up. These photographs are of the domestic workers that my family employs. Each one of them contributes to the reason why Zambia feels like home to me.

     I have only ever known each subject within the context of my own “nyumba”. In order for me to understand their lives outside of their workplace, I decided to reverse roles and visit each person and their families in the context of their “nyumba”. Photographing this part of their life made the reality of their situations much more apparent to me than in all the years of knowing them.

     “Kunyumba” is a tribute and exploration of my relationship with the people who split their lives between my house and theirs for sake of making a livelihood. They are home to me.

Kunyumba