Monday, June 28, 2010
Slide show
http://www.slide.com/r/xGvLT2vI3T8ioOAOFvGpHtZT8aybatrY?previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Colorless “Rangpuri Pahadi”
Rangpuri Pahaadi is a slum area near Ryan International School,Chatarpur in New Delhi, here people live in congested small houses with an improper drainage system and unhygienic conditions.
One side of the road has no water supply and on the other side there is water supply but only for 10 minutes in a day.
These people have innumerable complaints about their living conditions but there is no one to listen to their woes.
According to them politicians come to ask for their votes and make false promises but they are never fulfilled.
Inter-Caste
Caste differences in this area is very prevalent as some people consider the “others” as untouchables and inhuman, the situation is extreme as they don’t even share the only tube well they have in their area and prefer to get their own water tanks even if it means sacrificing other basic necessities of education their children and electricity.
Health Hazards
They have stagnant water at different places which is resulting in the spread of chronic diseases.
Though there is doctor stationed near their dwelling ground but he is not well qualified and is absent from the ill equipped clinic most of the times.
Education
Most of the children don’t go to school due to limited income of their family.
They have a small government school nearby which only teaches up to the 5th grade.
Money is a big hurdle in their way so many drop out of school mid-way and help their parents either at household chores or generate income by working as laborers or domestic helps at other home’s.
An Outsider's View
John Mckinzey a volunteer at Salaam Baalak Trust,is from Australia and has been in India for the past 2 months.His motive to come to India was to get an insight to the plight of the children who run away from their homes and help them in every way he could.
In his view there are 2 primary reasons for kids to run away in the west which are FREEDOM AND DRUGS. He found that the situation in India was very similar too as children here too craved for freedom from poverty, abuse and despair.
He also said that children in the west were more aware of their rights and could not be forced to live in shelter homes like that of Salaam Baalak as the shelter home here is locked all the time and the children are not allowed to move around on the streets at their own will.
He told us about the huge industry in the western countries which connect the interested volunteers to various NGO’s based in India and how the volunteers come to India for a few weeks just for the satisfaction they get. Though these volunteers often are not able to contribute much due to lack of knowledge on what has to be done.
Salaam Baalak Trust: Love and Care
Salaam Baalak Trust an NGO was founded in 1988.It has 3 centers across Delhi and 1 in Gurgaon. It has several contact points spread all over New Delhi.
They are working for fulfillment of the dreams of street children who have chosen slums and streets over life with their family.
The SALAAM BAALAK TRUST’S primary purpose is “to reunite these kids with their family”.
Nick from London, working since Jan 2009. Fund raiser for Salaam Baalak Trust. “I am happy to work here. I feel satisfied , I am doing something good for society”.
Salaam Baalak Trust with the help of Child Welfare Committee search for children (under 14 age) living on the streets and the railway tracks. These children then are convinced to stay at their shelter homes or come to one of their 7 contact points on everyday basis.
At the shelter homes the children are provided with basic amenities of food, shelter and clothing. They are also educated, and are provided with vocational training with the help of Shramik Vidyapeeth and Gurukul to make them self dependent.
After completing school each child gets 50% financial aid to pursue higher studies. Students are also provided with part time jobs so that they can earn for themselves.
There is a impressive list of companies which give employment to SBT children which include brands such as Café Coffee Day, Pizza Hut, Park Hotels, Matrix Clothing and Interface.
Salaam Baalak Trust also gets aid from United States agency for International Development.
(in order of left to right)
Fayaaj, 13 years, studying in vth came from Bethiya, Bihar. “I am happy here, I got lots of friend like me”.
Indar, 13 years from Faridabad Haryana, “I was alone, could not study and brothers from Salaam Baalak Trust brought me here”.
Anmol, 14 years, studying in IXth standard. He has completed his basics in computer and wants to pursue Hardware learning. He joined SBT seven months ago when he lost his parents in a road accident. He is learning English and can also converse in Spanish.
The trust also has various aid programs and has an annual event and city walks around the New Delhi Railway station which attracts a lot of western and Indian travelers. But Some have even taken objection to this. As per the information available, social activists are up against these slum tours and say it is voyeurism at its worst.
Javed Abidi, a disabled rights activist, says, "The children or the slum dwellers no way benefit from this. Celebrities and foreign dignitaries make it a point to visit slums, street children and girls' homes.”
The Salaam Baalak Trust takes this criticism as a byproduct of their work and ultimately aims to become the voice of growing confidence, the mind of quieter turmoil, the vision of hope who walk their life alone and vulnerable.
Brijesh is a live example of their achievement.
Brijesh is working with Salaam Baalak Trust and has been brought up in this trust.
Before he was found by the trust he lived on the New Delhi railway tracks for 5 years. He ran away from his native home Bihar when he was 8 years old and was in the 2nd standard.
Though his school wasn’t English medium he is well versed with languages like Hindi, English, Bhojpuri and French.
They are working for fulfillment of the dreams of street children who have chosen slums and streets over life with their family.
The SALAAM BAALAK TRUST’S primary purpose is “to reunite these kids with their family”.
Nick from London, working since Jan 2009. Fund raiser for Salaam Baalak Trust. “I am happy to work here. I feel satisfied , I am doing something good for society”.
Salaam Baalak Trust with the help of Child Welfare Committee search for children (under 14 age) living on the streets and the railway tracks. These children then are convinced to stay at their shelter homes or come to one of their 7 contact points on everyday basis.
At the shelter homes the children are provided with basic amenities of food, shelter and clothing. They are also educated, and are provided with vocational training with the help of Shramik Vidyapeeth and Gurukul to make them self dependent.
After completing school each child gets 50% financial aid to pursue higher studies. Students are also provided with part time jobs so that they can earn for themselves.
There is a impressive list of companies which give employment to SBT children which include brands such as Café Coffee Day, Pizza Hut, Park Hotels, Matrix Clothing and Interface.
Salaam Baalak Trust also gets aid from United States agency for International Development.
(in order of left to right)
Fayaaj, 13 years, studying in vth came from Bethiya, Bihar. “I am happy here, I got lots of friend like me”.
Indar, 13 years from Faridabad Haryana, “I was alone, could not study and brothers from Salaam Baalak Trust brought me here”.
Anmol, 14 years, studying in IXth standard. He has completed his basics in computer and wants to pursue Hardware learning. He joined SBT seven months ago when he lost his parents in a road accident. He is learning English and can also converse in Spanish.
The trust also has various aid programs and has an annual event and city walks around the New Delhi Railway station which attracts a lot of western and Indian travelers. But Some have even taken objection to this. As per the information available, social activists are up against these slum tours and say it is voyeurism at its worst.
Javed Abidi, a disabled rights activist, says, "The children or the slum dwellers no way benefit from this. Celebrities and foreign dignitaries make it a point to visit slums, street children and girls' homes.”
The Salaam Baalak Trust takes this criticism as a byproduct of their work and ultimately aims to become the voice of growing confidence, the mind of quieter turmoil, the vision of hope who walk their life alone and vulnerable.
Brijesh is a live example of their achievement.
Brijesh is working with Salaam Baalak Trust and has been brought up in this trust.
Before he was found by the trust he lived on the New Delhi railway tracks for 5 years. He ran away from his native home Bihar when he was 8 years old and was in the 2nd standard.
Though his school wasn’t English medium he is well versed with languages like Hindi, English, Bhojpuri and French.
Delhi Fact file
Population: 13.78 million - Urban Population: 93.01%
- Literacy Rate: 81.82%
- Male Literacy: 87.37%
- Female Literacy: 75.00%
. Sex Ratio: 821 (females per 1000 males)
Migration in search of work
Life in rural villages in India can be hard, with limited opportunities for employment. Over the last 60 years, millions of people have travelled into Delhi from outlying areas in search of work and a better life. The cost of living in the city is far higher than in rural areas, resulting in difficulties even for those who do find employment. The set up makeshift shelters with whatever materials are to hand, and form settlements on waste ground or on pavements.
Rapid population growth
In 1947, there were 2 million people living in Delhi. There are now over six times as many inhabitants, with rapid and chaotic urbanization placing an enormous strain on the infrastructure of the city. The government of India is struggling to cope with the needs of a population of this size and the social problems that can accompany it. Meanwhile, population growth all over India means that people in rural areas find it even harder to earn a living from the land and so travelling to large cities in search of work remains an option.
Insecure settlements on unwanted land.
The slum settlements take root in a variety of places. They can form next to railway lines, under bridges, on swampy ground or next to 5-star hotels, but they all have one thing in common; the people who settle there never own the land. The slum dwellers live in constant fear of eviction from their site as the authorities can decide to reclaim the land at any time, giving little notice.Courtesy- Asha India- A Delhi Based NGO
A Demolition site near, Sarojni Nagar in New Delhi
To encounter this problem of increasing slums Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission was launched in 2007 with the aim of building 15,000 flats in a span of 6 months as a short term goal, and 4 lakh flats as a long term goal.
Union Science Minister Kapil Sibal in February 2009 said for the 1st time that slum dwellers would be allocated flats with all necessary facilities at the same place where they are living.
The vision is to have a slum free Delhi by 2012.
Currently, there are over three million people estimated to be living in 1,500 slums in the city.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
I'm on Flickr!
I have observed few of my friends, on flickr and heard them praising it many times. My curiosity took a back seat all these days. I was lazy to do one of the most easiest things in the world. May be, i was waiting for today.
For those who still don’t know flickr(there are many ppl in the category), let me share the definition from Wikipedia.
"Flickr is an image and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community platform. In addition to being a popular Web site for users to share personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers as a photo repository".
Those who want to know more about flickr, especially new-bies, Read the article @http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flickr.
Why am i on flickr? because, its time and i don’t want to be too late !
Note: The Pic was picked up from web! (by searching flickr logo in Google images)
For those who still don’t know flickr(there are many ppl in the category), let me share the definition from Wikipedia.
"Flickr is an image and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community platform. In addition to being a popular Web site for users to share personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers as a photo repository".
Those who want to know more about flickr, especially new-bies, Read the article @http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flickr.
Why am i on flickr? because, its time and i don’t want to be too late !
Note: The Pic was picked up from web! (by searching flickr logo in Google images)
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