Day 3: Dharavi

After a quick yoga session we headed out to the largest slum in Asia - Dharavi. Most people may be familiar with Dharavi through the hollywood-ized "Slumdog Millionaire" slum, creating a bollywood picture for a $1.5 million people community bombarded with problems and poverty.

We were given the opportunity to visit ACORN with the director Mr. Vinod Shetty. Out of all the people we have met in the Indian NGO sector so far, Mr. Shetty has been truly inspiring. He shared with us his background as a labor and human rights lawyer, and ho

w he came to ACORN.

Physically being in Dharavi and seeing how this self-contained community worked together to survive was eye awakening. People from various parts of the country travel to Dharavi to start a new life. Many of the individuals of Dharavi have been shunned from their previous communities, have no place to go, no money, perhaps no family and strive to make a living. Most of the individuals we saw today were men, and barely any women. Mr. Shetty was explaining to us that majority of Dharavi is male, because they come to earn money to send back home to their families.

I was in shock by their working conditions. Coming from a country full of rules and regulations concerning occupational health hazards we were walking into a world that may not be aware/care/can do anything about it - These men (there were barely any women)

were risking their lives by working barefoot, without gloves, eye or ear protection and using heavy sharp machinery. The men also ate, worked, and slept in the same area every day. Staying and continuing to work in Dharavi suggests that for some of them perhaps their previous homes may not have been better, and working in Dharavi, making almost less than $5 a day is something they can be proud of, especially when they send/visit home.

It was fascinating yet disturbing to know that this community is the result of years and years of digging into an area where "civilized" people of India have shunned the people of Dharavi. Hopefully, the future of Dharavi is promising and new development brings more to the community.

Today was a lot to take in, long and exhausting. Goodnight everyone, and thanks for reading.

- Rashi