A Reflection on National Geographic: The Real Slumdogs

Justin Highbarger English 6 January 16, 2014

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Dharavi is the biggest slum in Mumbai, India. A slum is a poor section of a city and usually doesn't have many jobs and little water. Even though Dharavi is a slum, people can succeed because they created a community that works well with each other. Three examples of people valuable to the community are Laxmi, a rag-picker, Jighas dad, a tailor, and Shailesh, a rickshaw driver. First, Laxmi, a valuable member to the community, is a trash sorter, working to put her daughter in school. Laxmi is a rag-picker, which means she sorts through trash. Kalpana Sharma, author of Rediscovering Dharavi said, Dharavi is a bond of working class solidarity.1 With the money she raises, she always makes sure to pay the fee for her daughter's education. She also helps with the Acorn Foundation, a charity devoted to helping women and children. By working with the Acorn Foundation, Laxmi helps the community have more homes and more food to eat. Clearly, Laxmi is the perfect example of helping others. Second, Jigha's dad, another valuable member to the community, is a tailor, helping his son have a good education. Jigha's father makes clothes for others to wear. Jigha and his dad live in the middle of the pottery district, which works well toward selling clothes. Making clothes for others is a truly good cause for the community. Kalpana Sharma said, Because the people have a need to survive, they have developed a culture that cooperates with each other.2 Jigha's dad makes sure to keep Jigha in school, and special after-school computer and English classes.

Kalpana Sharma. National Geographic: The Real Slumdogs. CD ROM. Directed by Steve Baker. San Francisco, CA: Independent Television Service, 2010.
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Ibid.

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Third, Shailesh, a rickshaw driver, is another example of a community helper. Shailesh hopes to become a Bollywood star. His first priority is his family, earning $240 a month. He takes acting class and participates in paid music videos, hoping to make it big in acting. By making music videos, he can entertain the people of Mumbai, which helps puts a better light on Dharavi. Even though he wants to be a star in Bollywood, he always sets aside time for his family. In conclusion, even in a slum like Dharavi, people can find a way through life by working together as a strong community. Laxmi, Jighas dad, and Shailesh are three prime examples of how people can succeed by working as a group. Laxmi helped the mini-city by picking through trash, Jigha's dad made clothes for people, and Shailesh will entertain people in Mumbai. Unfortunately, this community might be destroyed; there are talks for a redevelopment plan, but hopefully Dharavi will stay for a long time to come.

Google Images - Landfill Google Images - Dharavi

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BIBLIOGRAPHY National Geographic: The Real Slumdogs. CD ROM. Directed by Steve Baker. San Francisco, CA: Independent Television Service, 2010.