Here’s What One Of The Biggest Slums In Asia TaughtMe About Life And Happiness

youthkiawaaz.com /2014/10/life-in-dharavi/

By Anesa Kratovac:

A few days ago, I got the opportunity to visit the Dharavi slum of Mumbai, and although I was reluctantabout the whole idea of foreign spectators gaining access to a closed community and behaving like theyare in some natural museum; upon learning that the proceeds of the tour are invested in education of thecommunity’s youth, I came to think that the ends did justify the means. Dharavi is one of the biggest slumsin Asia and one of the most densely populated slums in the world, with over 1 million people living in anarea of a square mile. It is also located in prime real estate location in one of the most expensive realestate cities in the world. These facts defy any preconceived notions that are based on assumptions thatslums are poverty-stricken, crime-ridden areas without sanitation and a populace that lacks education anda desire for a better life. But, after my own experience and after getting to know others’ experiences, theslum reality could not be further from those generalizations.

For one, Dharavi is a place of thriving industry and enterprise. Who would have known? Around eightypercent of Mumbai’s garbage is recycled at the Dharavi recycling industry. Indeed, images of unsanitaryand unsafe conditions are representative of that reality, but most employees who work at these industriesare migrant workers from rural areas who come to Dharavi to make money and return back home in someyears to help their families. To them, worker rights or safety issues are only secondary to the ability to beable to support their families. These workers usually sleep at the company shacks and act as securityguards during off-hours. In terms of its enterprise industry, Dharavi surprisingly utilizes its resources andspace sustainably and profitably, earning on average 1 billion US dollars per year in profits. Upon a shortstroll down damp and narrow corridors, it is easy to perceive that Dharavi is truly a city within a city, whereapproximately eighty five percent of the population are locally employed. There are a variety ofneighbourhoods within Dharavi, and for me, the pottery-making community stood out the most, includingone hard-working potter who has been making pots in the community for over fifty years. Further from theindustry and located in the centre of the living quarters, there is a vibrant market where people are able topurchase any necessities they want, which is a further indication of Dharavi’s self-sustainability.

Of course, let’s be honest- slum life is no picnic. Dharavi lacks sanitation infrastructure, creating a realitywhere more than 500 people use one communal toilet per day, while others resort to other more desperatemeans. Further, overcrowded shacks constituting 10ft square room homes, house families of five or more;sporadic water service is only available three hours per day; trash is scattered all over the groundunaccounted for and ignored. There are many downsides to the slum life, and health issues are the worstof them. But despite lacking many of the simple luxuries that we take for granted, people genuinely doseem happy and content. So that got me thinking: what can we learn from Dharavi? Are there lessons thatDharavi can teach us about simplicity of life and the nature of happiness? Simply put- absolutely.

The major aspect that stood out for me about life in Dharavi is that people have created a very organizedway of living and are proud of their communities. They work hard and dress impeccably. They are happyliving in crowded communal spaces, because they desire to have a sense of community, help each otherand participate in each others’ lives- something that is currently missing in many “developed” countries.Every facet of life is a community affair; multi-generational homes ensure that all generations interact withone another and are a part of communal life. Dharavi mimics how we all used to live not so long ago, and

reaffirms that despite the lack of the material and the comforts of privacy, happiness derives from a senseof community where we can feel accepted, cared for and loved. This is exactly the basis for the fact thatthere is virtually no crime in Dharavi.

Although I wasn’t able to take pictures on my tour- for a good reason- the vivid images of Dharavi are stillwith me. Thankfully, the people of Dharavi were used to seeing tourists and did not mind being observed.They understand and appreciated that the tourism enterprise was benefiting their community. Likewise,they also get to experience examining the tourists as much as tourists examine their communities. Ibelieve that this exposure of a “foreign” element on both sides is a learning tool for both parties and is animportant step to take for the re-examination of life beyond our own realities. Interestingly, some of my ownexperiences in Dharavi resonate with Kevin McCloud’s in his documentary, ‘Slumming It’, which wasrecommended to me by my tour guide (and which I recommend as well).

My last thoughts converge around the idea that we truly don’t know anything unless we experience itourselves. This realization can motivate us to question, explore and create our own ideas around issuesthat we have heard about through second-hand knowledge. Biases are like hypotheses- they have to beproven right or wrong through exploration. So, explore we must! As Max Ernst once said, “Before he goesinto the water, a diver cannot know what he will bring back.”

Here is more information on some of the biggest slums in the world

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