Paresh is currently a second year commerce student. His ambition is to become a chartered accountant or to be a real estate broker. He has lived in Dharavi all his life. His father is a carpenter and his mother is a housewife. Paresh thinks English language will be essential for job interviews, and for his future business ambitions. He would also like to be able to speak with his friends …
Reshma is a first year student on an Arts degree programme, which includes a mixture of languages, geography and economics. Her father works in a bakery in Dharavi. She is very busy, juggling college classes, the Youth Empowerment programme and caring for her mother, who is unwell. She eventually hopes to become a teacher in a government school. Once she has finished her degree, she will embark on a two …
Afreen lives in Dharavi with her mother, four brothers and one sister. She has already completed the HSC and the theoretical part of a nursing course. Once she has done the practical element she will be in a position to apply for a job at a government hospital. When she is not busy with household duties, Afreen does yoga, which she learned from a TV channel, in her free time. …
Asmabee has lost her parents, and works hard at home to look after her five older siblings. When her mother was sick, Asmabee felt that the nursing staff didn’t give her mother a good standard of care. She is now determined to undertake a nurse training course in Santa Cruz so she can help others. Asmabee reached 5th standard at school and wants to grow as a person and move …
Yesterday was International World Health Day (anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948). For Reality Gives Health plays a very important role for our social activities in Dharavi’s communities as it is the foundation of every individual’s development. Successful education and livelihood projects are based on good health and therefore it all starts from there. We have celebrated the World Health Day last Saturday already as it is a …
When I told people that I was leaving Mumbai, they assumed that one of the reasons was to escape the chaos and pollution. When I said that I was going to Manila, Philippines, “Out of the frying pan and into the fire” is a phrase that was used more than once. Mumbai was my home. A place that despite all its problems and inconveniences has an addictive energy about it. …
Do you all remember the Rickshaw Race Team from the Netherlands which came to visit us and our connection projects in January? Here a small reminder: Carla was one of the team members and she kept especially the art program well in her memory. After finishing the rickshaw race challenge she decided to stay longer in India to travel around. Two months later she reached Mumbai again, this time to …
Laura approached Reality Gives to research for the development of a Mobile English Learning program for underprivileged communities. After coming for one month last year already she started a new period of research with the current YEP batch by beginning of January. At the moment she is back in UK but will come back to Mumbai in a few weeks to finish this research period. In the following article about …
For the second time already Reality Tours and Travel and World Leadership School organised a one week Dharavi village social service week for students of the Berkeley Caroll School in New York. Thirteen students between 15 and 17 joined the trip to learn about social issues and opportunities and intercultural exchange in India. On the first day the students and three teachers went for sightseeing, shopping and a Bollywood movie. …
On International Women’s Day we would like to introduce you to the strong and great women in our organisation who create a change for our communities. These are especially our great teachers form the Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) and the English Language Support Program (ELS). Today we would like to tell you more about Jyoti, Shabana, Sangeeta, Nazia and Lakshmi.
