Report on the situation of slum children in delhi

INTERNSHIP REPORT

The situation of children belonging to families
involved in waste labor in Delhi

David Emmanuel Hatier
Bachelor’s degree in Psychology

Université Laval, Québec (QC), Canada

Under the supervision of

Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar Alam
Ph.D. in Psychology

Delhi University, New Delhi, India

Executive Director of the Indian Muslim Economic Development Agency (IMEDA)

AUGUST 2011

Children’s situation in slums of Delhi

CONTEXT OF THE REPORT

This study was conducted by David Emmanuel Hatier 1,
Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Laval University in
Quebec City, Canada. He lived a period of two months in New
Delhi between June 25th and August 30th, 2010 for an internship
with the organizations SEWA-Delhi and the Indian Muslim
Economic Development Agency (IMEDA). His research was
supervised by Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar Alam1, Ph.D in
psychology from the University of Delhi and Executive Director
of IMEDA. Technical assistance has also been provided by Dr.
Vinod Sharma, a doctor from SEWA organization.

SEWA2 is an organization that works in the slum of New Seelampur, in East Delhi. It
organizes informal education for illiterate and school dropout. Moreover, this organization
provides general and reproductive health service with
sanitation awareness. SEWA is delivering counseling
and referral services on STD, HIV / AIDS, TB, Hepa-
B and other contaminated / non-contaminated
diseases. Besides, this organization is working on
women empowerment, child rights and advocacy the
community against the social, traditional, communal
and religious victims.

IMEDA works for the development of social inclusion in the organizations in order to
contribute towards the achievement of the 11th Plan of the Government of India objectives that
focuses on inclusive development.

1
Upper picture : David Emmanuel Hatier (left side) with Dr. Alam (center), and Dr. Alam’s family
2
Bottom picture : Staff members of SEWA

1


INTRODUCTION

1 person is an individual.
1000 people are a population.
1 million people are a statistic.

Too often, we analyze poverty in statistical
terms, in the form of indicators and figures. This
report has been realized first and foremost in order to
bring the individual experience in first place1, while
leaving aside the population’s reality reduced by
percentages and generalities.

In Delhi, as in all major cities in India, slums
are a reality where millions of people live in
extremely dense areas. According to Majumdar (1983), the average floor area occupied by people
in the slums is 2.5 square meters. The high birth rate in deprived areas and the large urban
migration make the floor area per person even smaller in 2011.

With a very high birth rate, the majority of the Indian population is under the age of 18.
Not surprisingly, adults in the slums believe that the future lies on youth. The education and
employment represent the two biggest priorities for every family. Both priorities go together,
meaning that education creates jobs and jobs enable families to afford school supplies and
provide all their needs without relying on the meager salary that their children could get today.

But when we think of the future for youth, we inevitably see some downsides. First, a
negligible percentage of children have the chance to go to school, while the dropout occurs very
quickly for many other kids.

In addition, many slums are built on lands belonging to the government. The concept of
ownership does not exist among the inhabitants, who could be relocated anytime due to a
governmental decree. This has happened in 2004 to 3,00,000 people living in Yamuna Pushta, on

1
Picture : Young boys and girls from New Seelampur, Delhi

2


the shore of the river Yamuna passing through Delhi (Dupont, 2008). Due to the Commonwealth
Games, 22 slums were destroyed over an area of three kilometers. A meager 20% of the
population was relocated in Bawana, the neighboring state of Haryana. Bawana is a deserted field
on the periphery of the city without public services. Other homeless people have been left in the
streets, on their own. So, how could children from these slums have the chance, one day, to own
a property, in an urbanized neighborhood with worthy sanitary conditions?

Finally, the question of full employment arises. If today it is already difficult for slum
dwellers to find a satisfactory livelihood to nourish their families, how will their children do amid
a growing population with a quasi-exponential high birth rate and urban migration? Although the
Indian economy is currently growing, the poor people in Delhi will still be as poor as they are
right now1.

1
Picture : The families engaged in waste recycling are living and working in the same place.

3


THEORICAL MODEL

A study of the daily reality of some children and teenagers living in slums is a very
important tool to understand differently the issues and challenges that youth and families in these
neighborhoods are facing every day. By better understanding their perceptions, beliefs, dreams
and emotions, the individual is placed in the center of an environment in which the different
components are all interrelated. As shown in Bonfonbrenner ecological model of human
development1, the experiences of a child in a given context are built thanks to an interaction
among four levels of systems: microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem and macrosystem.

The microsystem is the child´s
immediate environment, which is
composed by the family, school, friends
and neighborhood. It is defined by the
roles, the activities and the
interrelationships among the actors who
are involved. The mesosystem is the
network of connections among the
immediate environments that represent
these microsystems. The relationship
developed between the child's family
and school is an example of a
mesosystem. The exosystem is the
external environment that influences the development indirectly. For example, the context of
working parents has some pressure on the family, which may influence the relationship between
them and the school. Finally, the macrosystem is a larger cultural context that influences all other
systems, particularly through the ideological characteristics of the society which is enrolled to
study.

1
Illustration : Bonfonbrenner model representation
Source : http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/8/223/figure/F1?highres=y

4


PORTRAITS OF THE SLUMS AND THE CHILDREN

Kanjar community of Sangam Park, living beside the Dargah of Hazrat Syed Shah

Arriving at Dargah of Hazrah Syed Shah in
Sangam Park was striking because the slum is situated
on the edge of a very noisy railway track. Trains pass
at any time, day and night. On this small territory
belonging to the government stands 22 Jhuggis1 (tent-
like shelters). In total, there are 120 children living in
this crowded area, not to mention many adults. The
houses are jhuggis made with pieces of mended
plastic, among other things supported by bamboo
sticks and other simple materials. These jhuggis are
their home, where they sleep and hide from the
burning sun or torrential monsoon, and they seem to
be a place to seek some semblance of privacy.

Indre2, a middle-aged man, mentioned that his
community has lived on this site for 35 years, having
emigrated from the Faizabad district. Since that time, life has been a daily battle for survival for
them and their children. They have already been relocated by the government once, and this
could happen again at any time. They have nothing except an unconditional commitment to life
that allows them to overcome all obstacles.

Neither Momta, a seven-years-old girl, nor Akshel, her nine-years-old brother, have ever
stepped into a school. This is also the reality for 100 other children between 6 and 14 years old
who reside there. The fate of 120 children aged six years old and under will be exactly the same
if nothing is done. Unfortunately, this is their reality and their fate. All schools require a birth
certificate that these children do not have. However, under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)
program, developed by the Indian Government to ensure a basic universal education, schooling

1
Upper picture : Sangam Park jhuggi
2
Bottom picture : Indre (lower right side), with his community children

5


for children 6-14 years old must be free and compulsory 1. This
program even includes the creation of new schools in places
where infrastructure is deficient. None of this is accessible for
children of this slum2. Here, one cannot imagine worse misery
for children.

In 1975, after the promulgation of children's fundamental
rights by the Indian parliament, the government established the
Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). It is a universal
program for children 0-6 years old whose goals are to promote
preschool education and to counter the vicious circle of
malnutrition, infant mortality and reduced learning ability.

Drinking water is not available nearby. Residents must
travel over a kilometer to get it. The water for other necessities
runs for a couple of hours, every day, from the community tap.
There are no toilets at all. Each person has to find a place away
from the community, near the railway track, in order to prevent
bad odors from invading the jhuggis.

Everyone tries to find a job in order to survive 3. Some
men improvise as hawkers; others manage to sell goods or
commodities at the edge of the road. Occasionally, they are hired
for a day for any sort of manual work by someone from a
neighboring community. Certain women are hired as domestic
servants in homes. Others collect old clothes from house to house
for a second hand clothing service. They get a few rupees in
exchange. The children help their parents in the waste fields
where garbage is regularly heaped on the other side of the

1
Upper picture : This young woman never got the opportunity to go to school.
2
Middle picture : Young children and Indre, the community chief.
3
Bottom picture : A mother cleaning some plants for cooking.

6


railway. Some families get a few cents by selling recyclable materials. Some children go
searching for money.

Today, I was among them, sitting on the floor,
surrounded by two dozen curious children and some
adults. As soon as the children arrived, they brought
with them a cloud of flies1 and the smell of dirt. No
need to be a dermatologist to be aware of the chronic
infections and skin diseases afflicting some of these
children. Several children were stark naked, while
others had very dirty clothes. Looking a little further, I
saw a mother trying to remove lice from her child’s hair. I guess I know the reason why other
children’s heads were shaved.

After thanking everyone, I observed some children playing in the alley. Near them were
three or four pigs enjoying the mud. In this environment these children will grow up.

There is poverty and there is misery. Today, I saw the latter... Just before leaving, a man
from the community opened his wallet and showed me his taxi rickshaw driver's license. He was
proud. He has been trained and he knows how to do something that provides him with a dignified
livelihood.

Will the children from this community have the chance
to receive an education in the future? It seems to me that this is
the key to many things, as is their smiles. *****

***** A few weeks later, Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar Alam and
David Emmanuel Hatier visited for the second time the Kanjar
community of Sangam Park. They discussed more in depth with
these people about their priorities for a better life. Arun 2, a 14

1
Upper picture : A bunch of mosquitoes lay on children’s faces.
2
Bottom picture : Arun

7


years old boy, told us: “I don’t get any money, I can’t go to school, and there is no way to get
new clothes”. For the numerous kids of this community, access to education is impossible. Gudia,
a 12 years old girl, was going to school in Mayapuri before her family moved here. Puja, also 12
years old, was going to school, but when her slum was destroyed, her family moved here and she
had no more access to education. They all were saying: "Please do something to educate us".

Vijay1, a 10 years old boy, told us: "Schools won’t admit
us, because we are Kanjars". This affirmation was surprising...
We discussed this with the parents who were present. In fact,
the problem is not about being or not being Kanjars, but rather
about having a birth certificate. Schools don't admit kids who
are not officially registered, even though education for 6 to 14
years old is supposedly universal.

So we determined that the first step would be to get an
official birth certificate for each child. In order for us to achieve
this, they must collaborate, as neighborhood support will be
needed.

We asked the children around us several questions. Even the youngest kids had some
questions to ask us. For them, it was a special occasion to get adults’ attention and to share a little
bit about themselves. Arun told us that his dream house would be a bungalow. Clearly, these kids
have the same dreams as any other kid. He also told us that if the Kanjar boys circulate in a
community, police could catch them, under the excuse that they are disturbing the public order.
Then they have to pay 5000 rupees to be freed.

In the same vein, while we were speaking with them today, some policemen came and
asked us what we were doing here with a camera. They told us that it would be better for us not
to go into the slum, because these people may rob or attack us, especially in this community. Dr.
Alam told the policemen that he has been in touch for months with this Kanjar community, and
that nothing of the kind has ever happened. We believe that prevention rather than repression
reduces social problems.

1
Picture : Vijay

8


Wazeerpur Village, behind Murga Market

In Wazeerpur Village, behind the Murga
Market, some families work collecting waste. The
children of this community have the chance to go to
school, but living conditions are very precarious.
Many families have a monthly income of less than Rs
5000 and they must make huge sacrifices so their
children can enjoy some years of studies. According
to Parween, a resident of this community, one of two
government schools requires the families to pay on their own a part of the expenses associated
with buying a school uniform for their children 1. Although education is theoretically free, a
monthly contribution is also sought. For many children, this issue leads to an anticipated school
dropout. Many parents prefer their children to quickly earn a small salary rather than see them
sitting in a classroom. Fourteen years is the minimum age to work. However, most people do not
respect this law because families are large and must meet all members’ needs.

The appeal for instant money is also very strong among teenagers. Many of them have
told us that they have stopped their studies because they were taught concepts and skills which
they would never be useful for living. One of these boys has learned to repair cars. He considers
that his salary is satisfactory. But how will he support his own family? Another teenager had to
dropout school when he was in fifth standard because, after missing a few days of class, his name
had been withdrawn from the list of pupils, and he was forbidden to step on that school. Do
children exist for schools or do schools exist for these children?

We met Asif, a four and a half years old boy. He says to be very proud of his father, a
rickshaw wallah who works hard to meet his family´s needs. Asif's mother told us that none of
her preschool aged children has benefited from the Integrated Child Development Services
(ICDS) which should be accessible to all Indian children under the age of six years old.

1
Picture : Dr. Alam, right side, is discussing with Wazzerpur Village unhabitant, including Parween.

9


Faizan 1, 10 years old, wants to be a doctor. When he told
us that, the other kids were laughing at him as if this could not
be possible. The father of Sonji, nine years old, is a driver. "I'm
only a driver," he told us. Although this job is very humble, we
have answered him that he makes his living honestly and this
helps the society in an honorable way.

1
Picture : Faizan

10


Sultanpur District, near the bus terminal

In Delhi, there are many immigrant families
working in the sorting of waste in one of the many
areas in the capital. Near the bus terminal in Sultanpur,
West Delhi, live fifty Muslim families from the state of
West Bengal and from Bangladesh1. These people
have emigrated in Delhi specifically for the purpose of
working for a few years in the sorting of waste. And
they hope to set aside some money and then return to
their original region and have a better quality life.
Some of these families arrived few months ago while
other families arrived few years ago. The families’
answer about the length of their stay in this place is
unclear: "We will go back home in a few years, when
we have amassed a little money." These people earn on
average Rs 60 per day according to the amount of
material sorted. As all members of the family work,
they manage to save money somehow2.

Their jhuggis are built in the same place as the
recycling waste, in the midst of garbage. For drinking
water or any water use, These people must walk
several hundred meters in order to get water to drink or
for general use. But often there is not water. This is the environment where children grow up.
They don’t go to school anymore since they are in Delhi. Reshma3, a 14 years old teenager, who
has dropped out school in 7th standard, told us while her father was away: "My father does not
want me to go to school". She said she is terribly unhappy with her life over here. She does not
have any dream for her future life.

1
Upper picture : Bengali children living in Sultanpuri
2
Middle picture : Young boys already working with their parents in waste recycling
3
Bottom picture : Reshma (left side) and the interpreter Jeewika Bhat (right side)

11


When her father arrived, he told us that he has four children, and that the school would
lead to a needless cost for the family. He said children are more useful when they work. When we
proposed him to send one or two of his children to school, he remained hesitating. In this way,
the other kids could work during daytime and could receive some free academic lessons from
their brothers and sisters who go to school. Some other parents were listening to our proposal, but
apparently, they do not believe in education. Moreover, the birth certificates of their children
have remained in their region. There is therefore no way to register their children to go to school.

Bengali children are not in contact with the outside world. Their different ethnic origin
and their inability to speak Hindi limit their social interactions with other cultures. Thus, they are
restricted to the knowledge available inside their micro-community.

Tchotu1, an 11 years old boy, is a child who can understand
and speak Hindi. When we asked him what is his favorite hobby,
he replied confident: "Working!" Children feel happy when they
are useful for their parents, for their family and for society,
regardless their living conditions. Unfortunately, these children do
not know other reality than "working". Maybe would Tchotu feel
even more useful for his family and especially for his own future
family if he had the opportunity to go to school...?

1
Picture : Tchotu

12


New Seelampur, Block K

The slum of New Seelampur is the largest
slum in the city of Delhi, with its 48,000 jhuggis. A
high percentage of Delhi´s Muslim population lives in
these areas, in which Muslim population is
represented as 70%. Seelampur is a slum that has
existed for fifty years. Most people living there were
born and grown up in this slum. Due to the low
education level and their traditional religious beliefs,
the birth rate is still very high. This factor reduces the amount of resources available per capita,
thus raising the social problems concerning health, sanitary conditions1, shelter and education.

The New Seelampur district is extremely dense. Tiny shady
lanes separate the three-storey buildings made of bricks. The
families live often in a humid room without air circulation. The
removal of dirty wasted water is very slow, which causes an
increase in unsanitary conditions inside the lanes2. The abundant
flies are an important way of disease transmission. In recent years,
residents enjoy a fairly good electricity service and they have good
access to water. Drinking water comes free in many places between
5:00 AM/PM and 7:00 AM/PM. People keep water in buckets,
according to their needs. At the price of one rupee, anyone could
make use of the toilets and showers available in the slum.

Most children in this slum go to school, or at least they have attended for some years.
Compared to children in other slums, we have noticed that the fact of having some academic
education facilitates their capacity of introspection and their ability to express what they feel and
what they believe.

1
Upper picture : Open area on the outskirts of the slum
2
Bottom picture : A lane in Seelampur

13


FAMILY PORTRAITS

In the slums, the neighbors live together as if
they were all brothers and sisters. It is common to
hear them call to each other as “cousins”. Usually,
families live in a one room jhuggi1. When children
grow up and start their own family, they move to
another jhuggi as soon as they can afford it sometimes
after a couple of years. It is common that seven to
eight people live in the same room measuring about
six meters squared, which are settle as kitchen, dining room, bedroom and living room.

Alina’s family

Alina is a woman of a certain age who has eight
children 2. Her five boys are named Nadim, Hunger, Faiyaz,
Riyaz and Sharuk. Her three daughters are Parveen, Shaheen
and Shama. Two of the boys, Nadim and Hunger, work in
construction. There are plenty of job opportunities, but the
salaries are miserable compared to the physical effort that must
be employed. Faiyaz and Riyaz work in manufacturing, where
salaries are also very low. Sharuk, the fifth son, is HIV and
takes drugs. His mother is worried about his health. She would
like to find a health center that could attend him for free.

Faiyaz is household head and he is the father of five children. His mother talks about him
with esteem. She mentioned that her four other sons "do a bit whatever they want ..."

Parveen dropped out school when she was in 12th standard, as Shaheen also did when she
was in 10th standard. Fortunately, both have undertaken a nurse course since three months ago.

1
Upper picture : Some members of a family in their jhuggi.
2
Bottom picture : Alina (right side at the back), with one of her daughters (in the middle) and some of her grand
children.

14


Each one has two children. Shama dropped out school in 9 th standard. Now, she teaches children
until 6th standard.

Like all mothers, Shaheen and Parveen must bring their children to school each morning
and pick them up after classes. Although education is theoretically free, families must disburse
Rs 30 per child for every two months, which means around 150 rupees per year. In some schools,
they must pay the uniform (300-400 rupees). In others, the uniform is provided for free. There are
from 50 to 60 students per classroom.

The parents of this family want their children to become "good people". For one of these
mothers, the most important thing is to do the best for her children. The adults give more
importance to children talents as writing poems, singing and dancing.

Sima’s family

Sima is a 40 years old mother. She has lived
in the Seelampur neighborhood for 18 years. The
only changes that have improved the quality of life
for this community are the access to electricity, an
aqueduct service and a relatively near hospital. Her
mother1, an old widow who lives with the family,
does not receive a government pension. However,
she should be entitled to get one. There are many people in this situation. This family´s jhuggi is
on the outskirts of the slum. When they get out of their home, they face the edge of an open area
where all kinds of waste and scrap are accumulated.

Sima has three daughters: Ushma, Shain and Nisha. Her two boys are Asif and
Mohammed Kamil. This last one, a five years old boy, goes to a government´s school. This is the
only family that goes to school on a regular basis.

Asif, a 17 years old teenager, is the eldest of the family and he is a craftsman. He earns
about 2,000 rupees per month, working 12 hours a day during six days a week (U.S. $ 0.15 per
hour). He stopped school in the 7th standard to work in order to support his family needs.
1
Picture : Sima’s mother (right side) and one of Sima’s sisters (left side)

15


Ushma´s fate is about the same. She left school
in 9th standard, and then she attended a technical
course for a few weeks to work in a beauty center.
This specialization allows her getting a bit higher
salary than the average salary of the neighborhood.
Nevertheless, she advises young children to study as
long as they can, if possible until the 10th standard.

Shain knows how to make prettier the saris by embroidery. However, this art offers little
income. She takes a few academic courses in Open School. Therefore, she does not have to show
up in class, except for exams.

Nisha is currently preparing for marriage. Particularly among Hindus, expenses incurred
in such an event are extremely important. Neither Nisha, nor her family, are able to bear the cost.
Therefore, all family members work during their free time in the recovery of metal, removing the
plastic sheath that covers it. This is a very demanding manual job, which abyss fingers and hands.
Working at a steady pace, everyone gets a volume of metal equivalent to three rupees per hour
(U.S. $ 0.07 per hour). Before leaving the house of this family, Sima 1 asked us: "Would you be
able to collaborate in any way to incur the expenses associated to our daughter´s marriage, due to
our lack of money? We would like to get a donation. How many people live this situation?

CHILDREN PORTRAITS

Suab, seven years old

Suab 2, a seven years old boy, should begin school this
year, at the same time as his younger brother. His older brother
lives with an intellectual disability and is an economic weight
for the family, says his mother. Indeed, only two family
members have a salary. For Suab, the smartest person he knows
is his friend who has the same age as him, due to his spirit of

1
Upper picture : Sima (in the middle at the back) with her three daughters (at the back), her son (left side at the
front) and some other children.
2
Bottom picture: Suab

16


sharing and cooperation. Suab believes that people from his community get sick due to the
mosquitoes that are found everywhere.

Not going to school yet, Suab seemed rather intimidated by our questions that were
personally addressed to him. We wish that he can actually begin school this year.

Uzma, 12 years old

Uzma1, a model student, could be an excellent
example of commitment and perseverance in studies
for many children in slums and many Western children.
Being 12 years old, she has three brothers and sisters.
She is studying 8 th standard. When she received the
Chaudhry Mateen certificate for the best speaking
skills in her school was a very memorable moment. She
said her greatest quality is her beautiful calligraphy.
Since she is young, she dreams of becoming a doctor, considering that is a respected profession
and because doctors are people appreciated.

If she could do more for her community, she would clean her neighborhood up, she would
build closer hospitals and schools and she would ensure that all children could go to school from
the age of five years old. If her family had a little more money, she would have a better house and
more school supplies. On the assumption that her family would become even poorer, she humbly
responds that she would be able to manage and make everything work out.

In her opinion, the most important quality for a person is to be brave, because it is the
only way to achieve what we want to reach. Conversely, the worst default is to be angry because
it disturbs the mind and it is very bad.

As the majority of children, she said she prefers her mother, since she spends most of the
time with her. She shows esteem for her father, because she is conscious about the big sacrifices
that he does to allow her go to school.

1
Picture : Uzma (right side), her mother (left side), her brother and her sister.

17


Farnaz, 15 years old

When Farnaz1 was 11 years old, she lost her father. She has four sisters and two brothers.
Since her father´s death, the whole family depends on the wages of his older brother. We asked
her if she finds that life is good, she answers: "No,
because I don´t have my father anymore. I'll survive,
but I'll always feel his absence in my life." Farnaz
finds her elder sister very intelligent, because she
studies at the University of Delhi and she teaches her
many things. If she was the mayor of her district,
Farnaz would control the crime, detect drugs, send all
children to school and ensure the cleanliness of public
spaces. As a dream for the future, she would become general doctor to attend poor people for
free. Besides, when she finds a coin in the street, she gives it to a beggar.

Farnaz gives the following advice for other children: "Have a good behavior with your
parents and your neighbors, and always be respectful to your elders”.

Shama, 14 years old

Shama1 is a young 14 years old girl who pursues her studies in 9 th standard. She says she
is happy to be as she is, because she "goes on the right way". Shama will always remember the
time when she won the second place in the drawing competition from her school. It was a
memorable day in which she felt truly happy. Shama loves life, because her parents are there to
take care of her and she has all that she needs. She wants to become a doctor, because it is the
desire of her father.

She appreciates particularly her elder brother who studies at the University of Delhi. He
encourages her to study and develop her talents. Moreover, for Shama, feeling brave is the best
emotion that a young teenager could feel. She wants to fight every day to overcome all the
difficulties. Shama hates especially to feel angry, because it becomes difficult to control herself.

1
Picture : Farnaz (left side) and Shama (right side)

18


Before going to sleep, she prays to Allah and she remembers that she needs to wake up
early the next morning because school starts at 7 o'clock. Shama advice for young people around
the world is to take care of their health, to study hard and wishes that everyone´s dreams come
true.

Rabiya, 12 years old

Rabiya1, a 12 years old girl, studies in 5th standard.
Despite the apparently unfair gap between the rich and the poor
in Delhi, she considers that the children who have more money
"come from good families" and that "they are the India’s
future". We asked her what she would do if she was the mayor
of her neighborhood, Rabiya answered: "Before acting, I would
have a meeting in my community." The smartest person she
knows is her brother who is 18 years old. He works hard to earn
the daily bread for the family by carrying merchandise with a
rickshaw.

Rabiya has never felt as proud of herself as when she participated in a theater play at her
school as part of the celebrations of India´s Independence Day, on August 15, 2009. She was
elected from among approximately 50 students for the main role.

She wants to become a doctor to be able to cure all types of diseases. Rabiya feels
healthy, despite sometimes a bit of coughing and headaches. She believes that people of her
community has become ill because of the mosquitoes, the contaminated water and the garbage.

Hena, 13 years old

Hena1 is a 13 years old girl studying in 4th standard. She wants to live in a healthier
environment: "Sometimes I have strong headaches or fever when I'm at school. I'm so unjustly
punished because I work slower..." Hena is therefore trying to keep her surroundings as clean as
possible: "I want to set an example to people concerning the cleanliness," she told us. If she had

1
Picture : Rabiya (left side) and Hena (right side)

19


the power and resources, she would ensure a better birth control in her community and she would
like to provide wheelchairs and a better health care for people with physical limitations.

Hena dreams of one day becoming an inspector, "but not as the corrupted inspectors, but
rather to really try to eliminate the crimes," she adds. She finds that life is pleasant, but she
believes that many people are mean because they kill others under the excuse of ensuring their
own lifel.

Few years ago, she participated in a dance competition in her native village of Bihar. She
recalls with pride that she won the first place among all participants.

Saana, 12 years old

Saana1 is one of the 11 children in her family.
Her favorite hobby is to ride a bicycle. She says she
loves "the feeling of going fast." She is a good student
and she would love to become a doctor. She also enjoys
sewing. She appreciates specially one of her elder
brothers. He shares many things with her and tells her
kindly what to do and what not to do.

Obviously, Saana breathes peace. When she feels sad, she says that she tries to focus more
on the work she is performing. Thus, sadness leaves her. Seeing people fighting displeases her at
the highest point: "People should not fight for any reason," she says. She told us that the most
important quality that someone must develop in life is to be optimistic: "If you want to become
someone, it takes absolutely this quality”.

Before leaving, Saana wanted to leave the following advice to children around the world:
"Go to school every day, have a good behavior and be well dressed”.

1
Picture : Saana (at the front), with her two parents (left side) and one of her elder brothers (right side).

20


Mehek, 9 years old

Mehek1 is obviously a very bright girl. She is only 9
years old and she studies in 5th standard. When she was in 3rd
and 4th standard, she finished in 2nd position of her class. This
year, she hopes to finish in 1st place. Mehek found her cousin
very smart, because she is able to communicate effectively
while speaking very quickly.

When she was 4 years old, her parents got separated. But
now Mehek told us she does not feel sad: "I'm only 9 years old,
I have no problem and my mother is near me, so why should I
be sad?" I do not need to be sad. Being optimistic is very
important for her. She would like to make everyone happy, that is why she is so optimistic.

If she could, Mehek would build better buildings for the slum and more schools. She
would create new jobs for the poorest. Also, she would reduce or even eliminate the gap between
rich and poor people: "I wish there was only one type of school for everybody," she says.
Moreover, she believes that poor people are grateful to God, but rich people are not.

For Mehek it is important to have a lot of friends: "I have 10 friends, 9 of which are very
very good friends. And we are friends regardless of religion."

Akach, 16 years old

Akach is a 16 years old young man who has worked for four years. Like many other
teenagers, he dropped out of school when he was in 6 th standard. But the case of Akacha is
special: he wishes to return back to school. "Several of my friends still go to school while I get a
miserable salary. Now, they have a lot of knowledge that I have never acquired. This is why I
would like to go back to school. This is the only opportunity to get out of misery."

1
Picture : Mehek (right side), with one of her friends

21


Unfortunately, Akach 1 has taken this decision
a little late because the school year begins in a few
days. We wish him to succeed. When we asked him
what he would do if he could not study this year,
Akach replied: "I would work one year more, and I
will absolutely apply for next year!"

How many young people are in the same
situation and also arrive at the conclusion that the wages for no specialized work is absolutely
pathetic? Akach has the courage to return to school. He is also lucky that his family supported his
choice. This is not the reality for many other teenagers.

CHILDREN´S DRAWINGS

In a school in New Seelampur, a teacher asked her 4th standard students to artistically
represent the environment in which they would live when they grow up. On a sheet of paper, they
quickly designed some trees, flowers, a bright sun shining, a big house, etc. Some students draw
even the Indian national flag floating at the end of a mast. A student has drawn her dream job,
doctor, where she is treating a patient.

Before submitting their design to the teacher, the students were all proud to sign their
name, sign of their uniqueness in the midst of so many other children.

1
Picture : Akach (with yellow shirt), some members of his family (left side) and David Emmanuel Hatier (right
side).

22


CONCLUSION

Delhi’s slums and poverty are not about to disappear.
For thirty years, people have been surviving in the same way,
benefiting from limited resources. Only some elements have
changed. The accessibility of electricity, water and health care
has increased. The public education system has also improved.
This is the main hope of a better future for the people of the
slums1.

During the meetings with children and adolescents in
slums, significant differences between children receiving school
education and those that do not benefit from it were observed. Children attending school have a
better ability to speak and to look critically at their environment. Even the children who attended
school for only a few years are more awaken.

More resources should be invested to improve the quality of primary and secondary
education in poor neighborhoods of Delhi. It is appropriate that greater incentives are provided to
families to encourage parents to support the education of their children. In that way, children
would drop out school not as young as they do now. We could think of incentives as allowances,
as sensibilization campaign or as a dropout prevention community program.

1
Picture : A little kid with his father’s in Sangam Park, near the Dargah

23


REFERENCES

Dupont, V. (2008). Slum demolitions in Delhi since the 1990s: An Appaisal. Economic &
Political, Special article, 79-89.

Majumbar, T. K. (1989). Urbanising Poor: A sociological Study of Low-Income Migrants’
Communities in the Metropolitan City of Delhi. New Delhi: Lancers.

24


Annexe I

LIST OF THE VISITED SLUMS

1. Sangam Park, near de Dargah of Hazrat Syed Shah (North Delhi)
2. Wazeerpur Village, behind Murga Market (North Delhi)
3. Sultanpur District, near the bus terminal (West Delhi)
4. New Seelampur, Block K (East Delhi)

25


Annexe II

SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ASKED TO THE CHILDREN

26


27


28


Annexe III

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Special thanks to Ms. Jeewika Bhat, MA student in Environment at the University of Delhi, for
her services as an interpreter of Hindi and Bengali to English. Also thanks to Mr. Aslam Saifi,
computer technician at SEWA, for his services as an interpreter of Hindi to English.

Thank you to Réjean Tessier, Ph.D., professor in charge of the Internship in intercultural
psychology at Laval University.

Thank you to Ms. Arshi Mukhtar, Muhammad Farhan Alam and Fatima Ambreen Alam for their
kind advices.

Thank you to Dr. Vinod Sharma and other staff of the organization SEWA for their warm
welcome in the New Seelampur district and the resources at my disposal.

Thank you to Dr. MJ Khan, director of the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development
(CARD), and his team at Headquarters CARD for the technical assistance provided.

And especially thank you to Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar Alam for his kind hospitality, his
experience and his time during the data collection and patience during the production of this
report.

Sincerely,

David Emmanuel Hatier

29

Report on the situation of slum children in delhi

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