MUMBAI | Ten Indian Seeds spent a day visiting the impoverished Dharavi settlement in Mumbai on February 26. Dharavi is one of the largest slums in the world with an estimated population of over 700,000. The goal of the program was to break down stereotypes held about the community inspired by film and TV.
“We often have such preconceived notions about certain things,” said Japneet, one of the Seeds who took part in the visit. “If we just take a little time to stop, look around, observe, believe, and change ourselves our attitude towards these things about our society, think of everything that we’d be able to change.”
The Seeds explored where people in Dharavi work, where people live, and where people relax. They explored areas of Dharavi where many important industries like recycling, garment manufacturing, and pottery-making thrive and products are created for export around the world.
“They were surprised to experience Dharavi first hand. They keenly observed things around them and tried to challenge their preconceived notions,” said Seeds of Peace Director of Indian Programs Sagar Gangurde.
“More than breaking stereotypes, the visit was about reflecting on the concepts of inclusion, equality, and basic human rights. It was about thinking of all the things that we take for granted so easily and how these things remain a distant dream for more than half of the population.”
Seeds of Peace partnered with an organization called Reality Tours to run the program.