A GLIMPSE OF LOCAL MALDIVIAN LIFE

We were fortunately able to visit two local islands, one being the capital Male’ and the other being a small island called Rasdhoo.

This small island is the capital of the Alif Alif Atoll administrative division, and home to just over 800 people. Roads and floors alike were made of dirt, and building designs were simple. The whole island was walkable in just under 10 minutes with only a few points of interest, including: one main school, one mosque, one water storage building, one hospital, and one garbage dump where trash was burned nightly.

As we were waiting for our return boat to arrive, locals started congregating by the dock. Families and friends watched and waited as the local fishermen attempted to catch fish, presumably for that night’s dinner.

Although our visit to the local island was short, it was a great insight to local Maldivian life. We were also lucky because when we were visiting, it was a few days before the election, so the streets were even more colorful than usual, encouraging the local Maldivians to be proactive and vote.

Originally, I was going to write a caption to go along with each picture. As I started through that process, I realized I couldn’t even begin to understand what everything was or what signs said, as a lot of the graffiti was written in the native Dhivehi script. So instead, I share these photos with you in order to give you a small glimpse at local life unaltered and unlabeled– just as we experienced it.

Here’s a look into local life through the streets of Rasdhoo: