Day 3: Dharavi

It’s taken me awhile to put my experience in Dharavi into words. I’m still having issues sorting through what we saw and the immense socioeconomical implications… so bear with me. After visiting the E. Andheri slums, I was expecting something much different in Dharavi. The first day, in E. Andheri, we were coming in with a medical van and witnessing the immense health and living disparities the residents faced on a daily basis. I felt thrown into the experience with complete sensory overload. In Dharavi, I gained a greater perspective of how the community of 1.5 million plays a role in the larger Indian economy, as well as the impossible obstacles faced by residents of Dharavi to change their socioeconomic status – thus, making the plight of social entrepreneurship even more difficult.

First, we stopped by the ACORN India Foundation offices that sit on the outside border of the slum -- right next to freshly demolished block of land (a scare tactic from the Indian government to show control over the slum). Mr. Vinod Shetty introduced us to the educational programs set in place by ACORN as well as the waste management system implemented throughout Dharavi. Mumbai’s waste was already finding its way to Dharavi, but ACORN was able to systematically legitimize the recycling efforts of Dharavi workers into profitable jobs. It was interesting to hear how ACORN was also working to make the lives of those living in Dharavi more fulfilling through music and sports. Two young boys put on a drum concert with empty barrels to showcase their musical talents developed through the ACORN Foundation.

After learning about ACORN and receiving a brief explanation of the political history surrounding Dharavi, we set out through the industrial side of the slums. It was truly a hidden city within the walls. Small shops lined the mud paths and were filled with workers meticulously sorting shoes, sewing jeans or repairing cardboard. Mr. Shetty emphasized the legitimacy of their work and the importance it plays in the larger economy. The waste from the city was being reused as well as providing the workers a way of life. While these workers have no control over their living conditions, they provide so many material goods to the larger economy – to the point where a majority of the larger industries in India could not survive without them. I couldn’t help but think of the American stereotype of the poor being lazy when I walked through Dharavi… and how untrue that is in this case. The government has excluded these people from society and provided no assistance that they’ve been forced to fend for themselves and have created an entire economy within their community… an economy in which India relies on very heavily.

With each visit throughout our trip, different aspects of social entrepreneurship arise and exemplify the complexity of the field and work involved. It is impossible for immediate change in Dharavi. ACORN and Mr. Shetty (the self-proclaimed bleeding heart) are doing great work enhancing the lives of those within Dharavi but the opportunity to actually change their greater social situation is still lacking. A point that is reiterated throughout this trip is that change takes a significant amount of time in the social sector. That being said, it is important to acknowledge the smaller scale of what ACORN is doing within the community to provide workers with a sense of livelihood and children the chance to take pride in something they enjoy doing – whether it be playing drums or futbol.