Think beyond your boundaries – Swati
We recently caught up with one of our students who completed Level 2 English with Reality Gives last year. We are super proud of Swati as she has been selected to go to Paris as part of the YAKA Foundation (YES Academy) Cultural Exchange Program. Swati shared her story with us before flying off to […]
Working in Dharavi
A question I have been asked often is, “What is working in Dharavi like?” Once you assume that there is no expectation of dreariness, it is quite a valid question. At the risk of generalising, most “well-off” Indians don’t dream of working or even going to the infamous slum of Dharavi regularly. I will argue […]
Five Ted Talks We Love, and Why We Love Them
Since 1984 ‘Technology, Entertainment, Design’ (more commonly known the world over as ‘TED’) have been sharing ‘ideas worth spreading’ relating to all things, from education to business, science to development. In the last 30 years, they’ve shared over 2,400 talks in more than 100 languages which have been viewed 500 million times. These talks are a regular […]
Leaping To Mumbai
Even before I knew it was definitely going to happen, I couldn’t resist spilling to everyone who’d listen that I might be moving to Mumbai. Something had been niggling away in my mind for years telling me to make this sort of leap, but why leave so many friends and family behind? Why move hundreds […]
Footballer Gracie’s End Of Season Speech
As the monsoon reaches Mumbai, our sports programs end for another season, but not before our ‘End of Season Awards Ceremony’. Attended by both the Dharavi Girls Football Academy and Dharavi Cricket Academy, this event celebrated the outstanding achievements of individuals recognised through Player of the Season awards and celebrated the hard work, collaborations, and […]
Back To The Books
As well as welcoming the Mumbai monsoon, June also sees children across India return to school. Gathering at the school gates with butterflies of anxiety and excitement, returning to old friends, meeting new teachers, whether you’re in Mumbai or Manchester, so much about this experience is universal. At Royal City School, where Reality Gives supports […]
[Interview] What Brought The Director of Studies From a Renowned London Language School To Dharavi?
In the middle of this month we welcomed Jessica Conway to Dharavi, where she will be working closely with our Educational Programs Director, Jonny Clarke, on our English Teacher Training program. This three week course, started on the 25th April and aims to prepare teachers to deliver our English curriculum to people living and working in Dharavi. A really exciting (and […]
Why I Quit My Job As A Fashion Journalist To Volunteer In A Slum
When I left Paris a few months back, I only had a vague idea of what Dharavi would look like. I imagined a very dense area where thousands, millions of people lived in precarious accommodation. I thought that the streets would all be dodgy alleyways leading from one home to another. Even though I knew […]
[Interview] “India Is Going To Exceed Your Expectations!”
Last month, Reality had a small party to say ‘farewell’ to Eloïse, a volunteer from France, who has travelled around India and Asia extensively and spent several months with us here in Dharavi. After indulging in a delicious chocolate cake, some of which we managed to get on her face (an Indian tradition, not an accident!), […]
[Interview] “It Is A New Life, I Made New Friends And I Got A New Chance Here”
Vijaya Kumari, 33, is a recent graduate of our Youth Empowerment Program (YEP). As a mother of three and having only had the opportunity to study until 8th Standard, we sat down with Viji to understand some of the story that led her to enrol. Viji’s journey with Reality began when her daughter saw a […]