Help The People of Dharavi Survive The Second Wave And Rebuild Their Lives

Dharavi is more than just Asia’s largest slum. It’s the geographical heart of Mumbai and it is also the industrial heart of the financial capital of India. It is home to a large portion of the commercial activities in Mumbai, to the tune of a whopping 160 crores.

In an earlier day, before COVID-19 broke out when you stepped into Dharavi, you’d see its 10 lakh residents gearing up to face the day. Some go off to work as daily wage workers. Others go off to their small businesses such as pottery, making fried snacks, leather products, recycling units, handicraft, garments, embroidery, etc. But ever since the pandemic began, and especially now during the second wave, all of them have had to sit in their homes and wait for the crisis to be over, so they can start working again.  

Ahmadi Shaikh Khatun, says her husband, a cook, has been without wages for nearly three months now. A mother of seven girls and an infant boy.

The tightly packed houses, common toilets, lack of proper sanitation and the lack of physical distancing are a few reasons why Dharavi is a COVID-19 hotspot. However, despite the widespread and the battle to recover from this pandemic, the residents are going out of their way to help one another. 

Born and bred in Dharavi, Kunal Kanase, a 31-year-old student and community activist hounded government helplines trying to get authorities to quarantine the neighbour's family. Unable to get through, he tweeted at the Mumbai police, who quickly came to take the man's family to a quarantine centre.

"I used to teach his two children and felt good for the family since they were relatively safer now," he said from the tiny two-room apartment he shares with his parents and younger brother.

Kanase and his team at Dharavi Diary, a group of young leaders who work to improve conditions in the slum, have been working to help those affected by the pandemic, handing out bags of rice, atta, cooking oil and sugar - enough to feed a family for two weeks.

But they lack the resources to provide for everyone and often must filter the needy from the neediest.

For the residents of Dharavi, life has never been easy. Around 6.5 lakh people live in Dharavi, and maintaining social distancing is a difficult task since families with 8-10 people live in a 10x10 space. The lanes are narrow, with homes on either side. Under these circumstances it’s more likely for the virus to spread to more people.

While the people of Dharavi are still struggling to recover from the first lockdown last year, the second wave has only made it worse for them. Hundreds of them still don’t have a regular income, can’t support their families and have no access to medical amenities. Above all, they can’t even afford a single meal on some days. These families need your help to feed their children, to keep their daughters health in check, to keep themselves safe from all kinds of diseases and illnesses. 

The volunteers of Dharavi Diary have been relentlessly working during the pandemic to distribute grocery kits. Dharavi Diary has served more than 6000 families during the crisis last year. This year, they want to help more. But they need your help to do this. 

The essential kit that you donate towards contains groceries to help the families prepare nutritious meals, along with soaps, sanitary napkins, sanitizer and masks. These items will help keep them safe during these difficult times.  While the world is battling with Corona, the residents of Dharavi are struggling to rebuild their lives. 

A pandemic isn’t just a crisis. It’s a time that makes us realize that love, care and a little help can go a long way in rebuilding a person - in this case, even a community. 

Donate now to give Dharavi, the heart of Mumbai, the second chance it truly deserves.  About Dharavi Diary - Dharavi Diary is a co-learning and unlearning space for lower-income communities in Dharavi to create sustainable ways of problem-solving and education. This learning centre empowers local communities to become change-makers themselves. Dharavi Diary has been working to help the residents of the slum by working proactively on the ground, they have tied up with a ration store within Dharavi and have been delivering ration kits to the families in need. They started with a target of 145 families and have succeeded in a short time to feed more than 2000 families. 

Note: All the donations towards this campaign is eligible for Indian Tax Exemption.