Dharavi

Late last week, our group visited Dharavi, which is one of the largest slums in Asia and called home by over 1.5 million people. This particular slum was made famous by the movie Slumdog Millionaire; however, what was depicted by the movie only shows a sliver of what this vibrant community exists as.

We were led through Dharavi by Vinod Shetty at Acorn India. Mr. Shetty eloquently and comprehensively explained all of the ins and outs of Dharavi, specifically with relation to the functioning industrial community that exists within the slum. It truly is a city within a city, and is currently under scrutiny and threat from the Indian government.

Dharavi lies almost directly in the middle of Mumbai – a very valuable and desirable location for development. Only a few weeks earlier, blocks and blocks of Dharavi were bulldozed announced by the government in a display that not only ruined homes and businesses, but also flexed the government’s muscles with regards to their influence on the pending development of Dharavi. Suffice to say that moving forward with this redevelopment would undoubtedly leave hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people displaced and put an end to a thriving industrial community that currently exists.

Under the guide of Mr. Shetty we were able to see firsthand how the residents of Dharavi have taken very little and turned it into quite a lot. These people recycle everything that can be re-used and then make their living from these products. Recycled car parts, dishwashers, glass pieces and just about any other large recyclable can be seen on the outskirts of the slum. Walking a few meters inside, we were exposed to veritable factories that are turning out recycled cardboard boxes, plastic drums, paper products and other necessary goods that are then sold to other businesses. It is in this way that the people of Dharavi have truly made something great, out of nothing.

In this same vein, Acorn India is doing the same for many of the children of Dharavi. Unlike the images seen in the movie Slumdog Millionaire, I did not witness children running wild in Dharavi. When we visited Acorn’s offices, half of which were destroyed in the government razing, we were introduced to Abdullah and Hussein. These two young brothers were part of the Dharavi Rocks! Program which aims to provide empowerment and self-worth through music and theatre education. The boys were gracious and welcoming, and responded excitedly when asked for an impromptu concert. This experience really gave meaning and proven value to the outreach program Acorn India is conducting. It made me think that some of the issues faced by these boys maybe aren’t so different than some faced by children in the United States. True, the geography and resources are vastly tilted in the direction of the United States; however, encouraging confidence through musical education is something that many children all over the world can relate to.

After our day together, Mr. Shetty asked us to follow up with him with regards to what we thought were the most important public health issues that Acorn India was either doing well in, or could use a bit more work towards. One of the most serious threats to human health I witnessed are the occupational hazards inflicted upon workers. On numerous occasions I saw men covered head to toe in dust and/or paint, workers were spending days in humid rooms with no ventilation sorting through mounds of dusty paper products. My picture of this can be seen in Charlotte Hager’s earlier blog. In Dharavi, sparks fly through the air with workers wearing no eye, ear or face protection; workplaces exist in the same breath as goats, insects, rodents and trash. Our Environmental and Occupation Health Professor would certainly be more than alarmed at the conditions that the men and women of Dharavi experience.

With countless NGO’s working in Dharavi, it is shocking to me that none of them appear to be addressing this issue – at least not on a level that we witnessed during our time there. The focus is, undoubtedly, more attuned to reproductive health, STD/STI screening, HIV/AIDS awareness and testing and perhaps nutritional concerns. From a public health student’s perspective, it almost seems that the EOH side of health is overlooked – not only in a slum in India, but perhaps also in America. Might it be that at home we don’t equate the workplace precautions we take for granted as protecting our health? Perhaps no parallel importance is put on knowing your HIV status, as well as making sure your lungs are safe from respiratory dangers in the workplace.

When I write to him, I will let Mr. Shetty know that the area in which I believe there can be the most improvement for the workers living in Dharavi is in with regards to their occupational safety. Perhaps this will pique an interest for Acorn India to potentially partner with a construction agency or health agency to bring in eye protection, ear plugs or personal air ventilators. If one industry could donate 1,000 hard hats to workers, it could make all the difference.

I hope that this blog, and the other sentiments and pictures shared here, will expand beyond our community of family, friends and colleagues so that the “real” Dharavi can be understood by those who might think that it, and all of India, is only as seen in the movies.