We were nearing the end of the stretch of houses when we came across a house that immediately caught our eye. The house, from the roof to walls and whatever we could see of it inside, was a uniform ash black. Outside an emaciated elderly man sat smoking while watching us calmly. 
“Permisi Pak!” we called out and explained our project as we routinely did. We took his blood pressure - 185/100! We were alarmed (the usual blood pressure is 120/80) and began trying to tell Pak that continuing smoking was extremely dangerous for him and that he needed to visit a doctor as soon as possible. But despite our best efforts, the pak was unmoved and slowly explained to us that he had lost contact with his family a long time ago, was now all alone and had no reason to try and prolong his life. This villager is a demonstration of the complex social factors that surround each villager in Kampung Air, some of which we have come to understand, much of which is beyond our control. Delving into these factors which range from culture to governmental sometimes makes our vision seem terribly distant. But sometimes we find a villager who, like the Pak I met that day, may have no social support and to whom we may be the only people concerned about his health. These unexpected moments where valuable relationships are forged with the villagers -  this is what makes Daya meaningful for me and why I love Kampung Air.