Delhi Slum Dog

Delhi slum walk.  Nothing about that seems like a good idea.  Nothing.  But I wanted to do it and I'm not entirely sure why.  I think because the frightening sad India that is so prevalent in the news was so far removed from the respectful kind place I've encountered.  I thought that if that India really existed it would be in the slum.  PETE is an NGO that works with schools in the slums to improve education.  As a fund raiser they show you to their schools in the slum.  My vision of slum was shaped completely by vague things I've heard and second hand information about a movie I never saw

.  Basically I just thought of slum and misery being synonymous.  Slum meant bad place.  So I was surprised at how great the place was.  Don't get me wrong, there was plenty to be worried about.  First off, for the population of 40,000 people have four toilets.  The toilets smell better than most of the slum because they cost 5 rupees to use (the average daily income is 30 rupees for the residents).  There are raw sewers that run through the slum and hoses that run along the small alleyways to bring water to people.Our guide was born, married and currently lives in the slum and was clearly very popular there.  People from both of the quarters we visited knew her and made us feel welcome.  And here is the big difference between this Delhi slum and other poor places I have been, they had a strong community.  Everyone knew every one's kid and what was happening with everyone.  They had decorated a section of the slum for a new years dance, the local healer was in charge of one section of the slum and the monkey trainer section (yes there is one) was led by another man.  There was a real social structure.  The slum had been around for 60 years and most residents were life long occupants.  The new section of the slum was still in tent form but our guide expected it would become a concrete slum shortly.  In the past 10 years Delhi has grown 50%  There just isn't another way to absorb the immigrants.  The government wants to tear down the slum that we were in.  Our guide reassured me "But this is our home and we will fight to keep it"  And I kind of got why.