They learn to swim before they walk, and dive before they can read. Among the Bajau, childhood is lived in the water. But a new generation is now growing up on the edge of two worlds: that of their ancestral traditions, and that of a future that is catching up with them. Photojournalist Gilles Auroux immerses us in this frontier.
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The story
22 images
Malaysia, Denawan, 2024-05-09. A group of Bajau children travel by small boat in front of stilt houses built over the sea, illustrating daily life in this stateless maritime community. Photography…
Malaysia, Boheyan, 2024-05-10. Children sit at the entrance of a stilt house built with recycled materials, above the sea. Born in this environment, they inherit a way of life shaped by fishing and…
Malaysia, Denawan, 2024-05-09. Two Bajau children paddle a small wooden canoe across the sea near stilt houses in their village. Photography by Gilles AUROUX. Malaisie, Denawan, 2024-05-09. Deux…
Malaysia, Denawan, 2024-05-09. A Bajau boy, his skin still wet from the sea, looks at the camera while resting on a wooden platform near his stilt house. Photography by Karine MARCHAL. Malaisie…
Malaysia, Omadal, 2024-05-11. A Bajau child jumps into the sea from a wooden stilt platform, while others wait their turn. In this village built above water, the ocean is both playground and daily…
Malaysia, Omadal, 2024-05-11. Bajau children laugh and gather on a wooden platform above the sea, ready to jump. Seen from the waterline, their joy bursts across the frame—an everyday playground…
Malaysia, Omadal, 2024-05-11. A Bajau child holds onto a wooden pole in the water, his body half-submerged between two worlds. Above, the village on stilts; below, the quiet blue of the sea—an…
Malaysia, Omadal, 2024-05-11. Two Bajau children play in the shallow waters using a plastic container as a makeshift boat beneath their stilt village. This playful moment reflects the ingenuity and…
Malaysia, Denawan, 2024-05-09. A young Bajau girl sits among fish laid out to dry under the sun, participating in the daily life of her community. Photography by Karine MARCHAL. Malaisie, Denawan…
Malaysia, Semporna, 2024-05-12. A young Bajau girl prepares fish on a wooden platform, learning from an early age the skills necessary for daily life. Photography by Karine MARCHAL. Malaisie…
Malaysia, Boheyan, 2024-05-10. Underwater view of a Bajau fisherman maneuvering his line from a traditional wooden boat, towing a lure designed to attract octopus just below the surface. Photography…
Malaysia, Boheyan, 2024-05-10. Half above, half below the surface, a Bajau child collects a sea urchin from the reef, holding a plastic bucket for the day’s catch. This split view reveals both the…
Malaysia, Boheyan, 2024-05-10. Seated side by side, a Bajau grandmother and her granddaughter share a quiet moment on a wooden platform. The younger girl’s face is covered with thanaka, echoing…
Malaysia, Omadal, 2024-05-11. Seen from inside a classroom, Bajau children play in the water among stilt houses, highlighting the contrast between education and traditional daily life. Photography…
Malaysia, Omadal, 2024-05-11. A Bajau child studies inside a small school set up by a local NGO, providing access to education for stateless children excluded from the national system. Photography…
Malaysia, Denawan, 2024-05-09. Inside a Bajau home, colorful decorations and everyday objects reflect personal identity and modern influences within a traditional stilt-house community. Photography…
Malaysia, Omadal, 2024-05-11. Children gather around a smartphone while an elder sits nearby inside a stilt house, reflecting the coexistence of tradition and modern influences in Bajau communities…
Malaysia, Mabul, 2024-05-06. On the beach, a sign urges people to keep it clean while trash piles up on the sand. A few meters away, children play in the water. Between the injunction and reality…
Malaysia, Boheyan, 2024-05-10. Bajau children gather at the entrance of a modest wooden house on stilts, observing the outside world with curiosity and reserve. Photography by Gilles AUROUX…
