Against all odds, we can do wonders!

Rajiv Gandhi camp is a slum located in the Naraina village of South West Delhi. The slum is situated alongside the railway line where a lot of accidents happened to children earlier. The biggest challenge was the exploitation of women and girls. They had been harassed physically and mentally by their male counterparts, they did not have rights to take part in family decisions. The area had many other problems. There was a lack of washing facilities. There were many shops that sold alcohol and there were many places were alcohol was made. Some men were spending 80% of their earnings on alcohol. There was much poverty. Education about basic health and hygiene was poor and the illiteracy rate among adolescents was very high.

In 2010, we first met them and came to know the Nepali migrant women and girls. We found that they were facing a lot of difficulties. They had been stigmatised because of their easily recognisable appearance and being Nepali too.

We gradually developed a good rapport with them. They had a dream building exercise. We facilitated the process and later found that they had identified their own strengths and potentials. They could identify their own issues and gradually they started to address the issue on their own.

Here are some of the changes that have taken place in their community.

• • Women groups have formed. They are more into decision making.

  • Harassment to women and girls has been reduced to a greater extent.

  • The groups has prepared a data base of their youth members in the community and accordingly started to link them up with a skill based training centre.

  • Educating other community members about HIV/STI and other related issues from time to time.

  • Temporary arrangement has been made around the slum to prevent accidents which have occurred due to the open railway line.

  • Child education has improved

  • They broke up the liquor factories. And now male members of the families are taking up jobs such as watch men and helpers at near-by companies, putting up fast food stalls etc

  • Temporary arrangement of water and electricity connections

Here is what we have learned. If women are educated, the whole community will be educated easily.They have the strength and potential to own their own issues, to address them and to resolve them.