DNA : Hope from the grassroots : Sept 9, 2007

Hope from the grassroots
 Garbage. Illiteracy. Smoke... All part of slum life. Here's how some
enterprising children are trying to change their world
 Naomi Canton
Mumbai

STREET GARBAGE, overflowing sewage, poor sanitation, and illiteracy have
long been part and parcel of life in the Mumbai slums.
But now children living in these slums are growing sick of it and are taking
action. Kids from the city's slums have come together find out the major
problems in their neighbourhood.

The project was set up by Mumbai NGO Akanksha which helps educate
underprivileged children - and organised by an American volunteer, Karina
Weinstein.

Azim Sheikh, from Mariamma in Worli, spoke to people in his neighbourhood
and found that overflowing gutters and diseases emanating from sewage were
their main concern.

Everyone he spoke with was convinced that the Brihanmumbai Municipal
Corporation (BMC) would not respond to the problem, but he persuaded them to
write a letter to the BMC. He is now waiting for a reply, but will rally the
community and march to the BMC offices in person, if it doesn't reply, he
said.

Sheikh says that Worli has a big sewage problem. There are no fences around
the gutters and many people have died from drowning in the gutters,
especially during heavy rains. A 10 year-old boy died last month after into
the gutter, says Sheikh who is a pupil at the Sundatta High School.
"The aim is to make people aware that they can take action if they wish to.
It is a good move as people are now picking up litter from the streets,"
says Sheikh.

Vanita Kariappa (12) put up posters around RC church in Colaba, where she
lives, warning smokers of the risks of cancer.
"Where I live, children as young as six smoke. Both cigarette smoking and
tobacco chewing are problems in the community," she says.
And although Kariappa was teased for doing it and her posters torn down, she
thinks it was a success as it sparked off a debate.

"A man who was about to light up, dropped his cigarette when he saw us put
up the poster," said a pupil at Little Flower of Jesus High School.
In other slums, where bullying and illiteracy were major problems, children
put up posters like 'Send a child to school' or 'stop bullying'.
Karina Weinstein (26), an American volunteer with Akanksha who organised the
project, said: "The children all worked really hard and overcame all
problems. I have learnt more from these children than they have learnt from
me."
naomi.canton@hindustantimes.com

Publication : DNA; Section : front; Pg :3; Date : 9/9/07
URL :
http://digital.dnaindia.com/epapermain.aspx?edorsup=Main&queryed=20&querypage=1&boxid=30786364&parentid=47773&eddate=09/09/2007