Today was a busy first day for the Impact India crew. After a day of getting to know our surroundings in a more relaxed setting, we started branching beyond the immediate 25 of us. This morning we met the energetic children from Project Gabriel and had a wonderful time with them at the science museum. We saw an imax, had a contest to make an egg drop safely, learned cheers and dances, enjoyed meals, and had an amazing time meeting new friends. Following the science museum, our group went on an eye opening tour of the Dharavi Slum in Mumbai.
The Dharavi slum is the largest slum in the city of Mumbai, home to one million people. We met up with our tour guides from Reality tours and they explained to us the purpose of why they give the slum tour. Many would think that the tour is just a way to make money and exploit the neighbourhoods, but the purpose of this tour is to bring a light to the way people view the slums and help others understand the way of life. Honestly, I was very nervous for this tour. I was prepared to see poverty, but what I actually saw was people. We began on the industrial side of the slum. Dahravi is home to one of the biggest recycling plants in India. They recycle things like plastics, aluminum, cardboard, and more. The industry side of the slum employs people from different cities and countries that come to work and send money home to their families. We were told that a handful of the individuals working there now are from Nepal and sending money home to their families. The workers sleep upstairs in their factories which emit a large amount of pollution from melting the materials etc. I was astonished at the risk thathese people put themselves in for their families. The average life expectancy in the slums is 45-50 years. The husbands move away from home and work in these conditions because they are devoted and don't think about themselves. All the factories involve strenuous work in small dark rooms ingesting hazardous waste products on a daily basis. To counter a lot of the stereotypes, a question was brought up about the age that children begin to work. The government made education mandatory up to the age of 14 and then they can start working. We then went to the residential area and saw the way that the residents of the slums live. There are between 5-10 people living in each house which has four walls and covered with an aluminum roof. The houses are attached and are on narrow alleyways that contain the smells of the slums and little fresh air. When we walked through the alleys, children waved to usand said hi. Some were playing cricket and others were running in the streets.
They seemed happy with their way of life. As we walked through the slums each participant had their own judgements based through the eyes of the university majors. The nurses were concerned about the occupational hazards and pollution, the child and youth care students were concerned about the number of children walking around barefoot and playing in dangerous areas, the environmental majors were concerned about the river of waste products running through the city and emptying into bigger seas.
Finally, from a psychological and therapeutic sense some mentioned the concern of differing abilities within the individuals, how those with physical and or mental disabilities navigate and live in such a physically straining environment. The experience overall was very eye opening and enlightening about the realities of the slums. We are all going to go into the rest of the enrichment camp with insights on where the children come from and grasp their appreciation for the experiences that they will have.
The Dharavi slum is the largest slum in the city of Mumbai, home to one million people. We met up with our tour guides from Reality tours and they explained to us the purpose of why they give the slum tour. Many would think that the tour is just a way to make money and exploit the neighbourhoods, but the purpose of this tour is to bring a light to the way people view the slums and help others understand the way of life. Honestly, I was very nervous for this tour. I was prepared to see poverty, but what I actually saw was people. We began on the industrial side of the slum. Dahravi is home to one of the biggest recycling plants in India. They recycle things like plastics, aluminum, cardboard, and more. The industry side of the slum employs people from different cities and countries that come to work and send money home to their families. We were told that a handful of the individuals working there now are from Nepal and sending money home to their families. The workers sleep upstairs in their factories which emit a large amount of pollution from melting the materials etc. I was astonished at the risk thathese people put themselves in for their families. The average life expectancy in the slums is 45-50 years. The husbands move away from home and work in these conditions because they are devoted and don't think about themselves. All the factories involve strenuous work in small dark rooms ingesting hazardous waste products on a daily basis. To counter a lot of the stereotypes, a question was brought up about the age that children begin to work. The government made education mandatory up to the age of 14 and then they can start working. We then went to the residential area and saw the way that the residents of the slums live. There are between 5-10 people living in each house which has four walls and covered with an aluminum roof. The houses are attached and are on narrow alleyways that contain the smells of the slums and little fresh air. When we walked through the alleys, children waved to usand said hi. Some were playing cricket and others were running in the streets.
They seemed happy with their way of life. As we walked through the slums each participant had their own judgements based through the eyes of the university majors. The nurses were concerned about the occupational hazards and pollution, the child and youth care students were concerned about the number of children walking around barefoot and playing in dangerous areas, the environmental majors were concerned about the river of waste products running through the city and emptying into bigger seas.
Finally, from a psychological and therapeutic sense some mentioned the concern of differing abilities within the individuals, how those with physical and or mental disabilities navigate and live in such a physically straining environment. The experience overall was very eye opening and enlightening about the realities of the slums. We are all going to go into the rest of the enrichment camp with insights on where the children come from and grasp their appreciation for the experiences that they will have.
No comments:
Post a Comment