Mumbai: NGO teaches youth in slums to take up civic issues

Shradha Potepol and Nikita Sudharshana with their letters

A city-based NGO - Committed Communities Development Trust (CCDT) - has been organising workshops for youth residing in slums wherein they were taught how to take up their issues with the BMC. The aim of the workshop is to reduce their dependency on local corporators and NGOs make the youth informed stakeholders.

Haseen Khan, mother of Aika, shared how they have until now they were dependent on the corporator to get problems addressed by the BMC. "Today I learnt that by writing letters directly we can track progress of our application. Aika comes home and teaches," she said. Sukanya Podar, managing trustee, CCDT, said people underestimate the underprivileged but they are powerhouses. "The program is a community-led intervention, aiming to get the youth to participate in planning for civic issues."

Monday's session began with students being taught how to access information from the BMC's ‘know my ward' website. Shifa Ansari, 20, from dharavi wrote a letter to the assistant engineer of the Water Works Department of the G-North ward about water shortage and supply of dirty water. "We also kept going to the BMC office to orally demand that a toilet be opened. Now, I am submitting this letter," she said.

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Shradha Potepol, 19 wrote a letter regarding water overflowing into their homes, while Nikita Sudharshana, 18, wrote about the pungent-smelling dirty water they receive for consumption. Program lead Deepak Tripathi said, "We are social animals and follow structures, but we need to collaborate and participate to think for ourselves with an aim to bring change to society."