Communities
MUMBAI
Dharavi
Dharavi is where our sister organization, Reality Tours & Travel, launched its first Educational Slum Tour in 2006—highlighting the community’s positive aspects while reinvesting tour profits into education. Reality Gives was formally established in 2009 to expand these efforts.
Despite its reputation as Mumbai’s ‘Shadow City,’ Dharavi is essential to the city’s daily functioning. It recycles 80% of Mumbai’s plastic and has an industrial sector generating between US$665 million and US$1 billion annually.
Dharavi’s diverse residential community includes people from across India, speaking 30 languages and practicing over six religions. Spanning 2.16 km² with more than 80 settlements, it is home to an estimated 1 million people—making it 20 times denser than the rest of Mumbai, already one of the world’s most crowded cities.
DELHI
Sanjay Colony
Reality Tours & Travel began offering Sanjay Colony Educational Slum Tours in 2016, with the same goal as its Dharavi tours. That same year, Reality Gives established its first Community Centre in Sanjay Colony, launching its on-the-ground educational initiatives in the area.
Sanjay Colony is a small slum covering just 0.1 km² near New Delhi’s Okhla Industrial Area. Home to approximately 50,000 people, it is part of a city where more than 45% of the population lives in slums. Though much smaller than Dharavi, it shares the same strong spirit of determination to break the cycle of poverty. Despite many challenges, the community has built a thriving micro-economy, with a notable clothes recycling and manufacturing industry alongside various small-scale businesses.
MATHURA
Naujheel
In 2022, the village of Naujheel became the latest community to benefit from Reality Tours & Travel and Reality Gives’ social business model. This marked a significant step in our mission to uplift and empower under-resourced communities, including rural areas.
Naujheel is a small village in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh. According to the 2011 census, it has a population of approximately 12,553. Agriculture is the backbone of its economy, complemented by a modest brick production industry. Infrastructure is limited, with no nearby railway station, making road transport essential. Residents often rely on neighboring towns for services, trade, and higher education. While the village has a few local schools, advanced educational opportunities are found in adjacent areas.
