Experiences in New Delhi

This trip is actually my second time in India and it's strange how the chaos can be seem so familiar. India is a country of contrasts and it appears most evident here in Delhi. BMWs and Mercedes drive along dirt roads and pass by people living in slums among the garbage from the city. Not only does garbage line the sides of the road, but noise pollution fills the air. 

Horns from rickshaws, motorcycles, and trucks are heard constantly because they are the main communication among drivers. Surprisingly, it doesn't seem to cause road rage because people honk when they are driving by someone, to move cows from the road, to tell someone to speed up. Plus, how can you be mad at someone for not following the road laws when they are never enforced? The lane lines are simply suggestions and no one follows them. 

Construction in India is also interesting. Because labor is cheap, contractors hire more people in place of modern machinery and tools. Here's a look at what you see around the city. 

Although there is a modern mall, most of your shopping can be done at local markets. 

I stayed with the William's family (very close family friends) who graciously allowed me to stay at their flat despite their absence. They had some unexpected complications with obtaining visa renewals for their children and so my first week in Delhi was spent with the grandparents who were also visiting them. They live in a neighborhood called Defense Colony and their flat has a nice view of the surrounding area. 

 Lynda was an amazing hostess when she wasn't even in Delhi! Knowing that I am interested in nonprofit work, she set me up with some of her friends who worked with some local nonprofits around the city. One afternoon, I visited Very Special Arts India which is a community center focused on children with special needs. They use art as a remedial therapy and a form of social and educational rehabilitation.

I was fortunate enough to witness one of their dance classes taught by a professional dance teacher who volunteers her time to help out the children. The children were very sweet and smiling is always universal :)

The next organization I was able to visit and learn a lot more about was Save the Children India. This center is not associated with the internationally known Save the Children. It is a local organization originally founded in Mumbai, but expanded the same type of work to Delhi in 2004. The location in Delhi is located in the city's oldest slum that is 400 years old called Sarai Kale Khan. It's basically an urban, high rise village that houses 1 million people. The center itself appears run down and is actually a series of old apartments.

During the monsoon season, the location seems to poses a challenge in reaching the services. The first day I came, the road to the center was extremely flooded!

 Despite its rough exterior, the projects are impressive and have made a significant impact in the surrounding community. They focus on improving the lives of young children and adolescent girls by providing educational and vocational programs. 

The vocational programs are for the adolescent girls and offer an opportunity for them to not only save money for their families by learning the skills, but also a way to potentially earn a profit in the future. They can choose among a range of classes such as Tailoring & Embroidery, Mendhi Application (henna), and even a course that teaches hair design in a beauty school set up. 

 The educational programs focus on early childhood education and have classes for adolescent girls who drop out of school for either academic or financial reasons. Also, they have adult literacy classes to learn how to read and write Hindi.

In addition, the organization has an anti-trafficking program that addresses the unfortunate issues within migrant communities. Because Sarai Kale Khan is located near a bus terminal, the village is often the first stop for newcomers to the city. Many people come with the idea that Delhi will offer them more economic opportunities, when in reality there are thousands seeking similar ventures. As a result, families become "stuck" in this impoverished area. Similar to poorer neighborhoods in the U.S., violence and crime rates are higher here. Many traffickers also take advantage of the naiveté some people have when arriving. Because the community is unorganized and constantly changing, there isn't a sense of accountability or neighborhood cohesiveness.

 In an effort to prevent domestic violence and provide trafficking awareness, Save the Children-India has implemented campaigns throughout each of the 11 block (neighborhoods) within the village. At this point, each block has 3 women's groups, 2 adolescent groups, and a village vigilance committee, all aimed at educating the community about preventive measures that can be taken. Each block has an "animator" who comes to the center every week to take part in the educational program and they then distribute the information weekly with the groups in their area. Thus far, the women have worked to help find missing children, stop trafficking abuses, and bring offenders to justice. Furthermore, the organization has built a working relationship with the police in the area in order to extend the prevention efforts to them as well. 

 

Most of the common tourist sites such as the Taj Mahal, India Gate, and the Lotus Temple, I saw on my last trip in 2008. However, towards the end of my stay in Delhi, I was able to visit Lodi Gardens which is essentially a 90-acre park that contains a few tombs from the 15th century. 

I also visited Akshardham, which is a very recent Hindu temple finished in 2005. Unfortunately, they did not allow pictures around the temple, so here is a picture from google which gives you an idea of what I saw. 

My next update will be about my experiences at Shanti Bhavan. Stay tuned!  :)