Thursday, October 8, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
From Pune to Mumbai
Hey All!
Sorry been riding constantly and been unable to update the blog much….
But here’s a brief run down of the journey… since being flagged off from Bangalore… I was slowed down by the rain and bad roads, and I took a few wrong turns but I finally managed to reach Pune just in time to meet volunteers and people who have attended Stepping Stones workshops run by Center for Youth Development and Activities and ActionAid in Pune.
The ride from Pune to Mumbai was relatively easier… but life for those living in the Dharavi slums of Mumbai is quite difficult. This I realized from my interaction with the community members that ActionAid works with. The Dharavi people are struggling to be heard by those in power. The slum holds almost a 100,000 people, of which, nearly 50% will lose their homes if the government goes ahead with its plans of ‘redevelopment’.
It’s shocking to hear their side of the story, since we tend to read of these only in the newspapers as stories of ‘development’.
This journey has helped me understand the hardships that many Indians face and their simple requirements.
The response from young people to what I am doing is overwhelming. I am being able to see some really inspiring messages over blog and twitter.
Sorry been riding constantly and been unable to update the blog much….
But here’s a brief run down of the journey… since being flagged off from Bangalore… I was slowed down by the rain and bad roads, and I took a few wrong turns but I finally managed to reach Pune just in time to meet volunteers and people who have attended Stepping Stones workshops run by Center for Youth Development and Activities and ActionAid in Pune.
The ride from Pune to Mumbai was relatively easier… but life for those living in the Dharavi slums of Mumbai is quite difficult. This I realized from my interaction with the community members that ActionAid works with. The Dharavi people are struggling to be heard by those in power. The slum holds almost a 100,000 people, of which, nearly 50% will lose their homes if the government goes ahead with its plans of ‘redevelopment’.
It’s shocking to hear their side of the story, since we tend to read of these only in the newspapers as stories of ‘development’.
This journey has helped me understand the hardships that many Indians face and their simple requirements.
The response from young people to what I am doing is overwhelming. I am being able to see some really inspiring messages over blog and twitter.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Subscribe To
Posts
All Comments
A 24-year-old Bangalore software engineer has broken free from his cubical in Bangalore to become a spokesperson for ActionAid supported communities fighting at the very frontline in the battle against hunger. He is doing this through a unique association with ActionAid India. He will ride a motorcycle across the country, covering a whopping 9,500 kilometers, to meet HIV positive single women, positive children, positive couples, urban poor, run-away kids, homeless orphans and women who are fighting for land and livelihood.
