A Reflection on National Geographic: The Real Slumdogs

Eli Graham English 6 1/17/2014

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Dharavi is a one square mile slum in the middle of one of the newest, most popular cities in the world, Mumbai, India. Over one million people live in Dharavi. It is a very unsafe slum, with too little water, unreliable power, and open sewage. The people of Dharavi live in terrible conditions, but that does not stop them from achieving their dreams. Rodd Houston, the narrator of National Geographic: The Real Slumdogs said, Dharavi is a city of dreamers. 1Three ordinary people of Dharavi who are making their dreams happen, Jigha, a 12-year-old boy, Laxmi, a ragpicker, and Shailesh, a rickshaw drive, are three of the amazing people who live in the one square mile slum of
Google Images Map of Dharavi

Dharavi. The first achiever is Jigha. He is a 12-year-old student who wants to be a scientist. Jigha's dad runs a tailoring business to pay for his school. Jigha is also taking English and computer classes. Jigha wants to become a scientist by studying hard and speaking English. Krishna Pogari, co-founder of Reality Gives, Jighas English, and computer teacher said, Every child has potential. We have to give them hope. Jigha says that all people have a chance at achieving their dreams.
Google Images Dharavi school house 2

Rodd Houston. National Geographic: The Real Slumdogs. CD ROM. Directed by Steve Baker. San Francisco, CA: Independent Television Service, 2010.
2

Krishna Pogari. Ibid.

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The second overcomer is Laxmi; she is a 3rd generation ragpicker. A ragpicker is a person who sorts the trash. Laxmi works all week and makes $60. Laxmi is also a mom; she works all week to put her daughter through school. Laxmi always takes out time of work to help Sheetal with her homework. Sheetal wants to be a doctor when she grows up. Laxmi is also in a charity group called the Acorn Foundation, and she donates lots of money to it. The last big dreamer is Shailesh, and he is a dad and his first priority is his family. Shailesh is a man in his mid-thirties with tall black hair like Elvis Presley. He is a rickshaw driver; a rickshaw is like a taxi. Shailesh has a dream of being in Bollywood movies as an actor. He is taking acting classes at the school of acting. He had his first paid part in a traditional religious music video; he is one of the very few who actually might make it big in Bollywood.
Google Images rickshaw driver

The people in Dharavi are working hard all day to achieve their dreams. All the way from a young school boy, to a struggling actor, these people are making amazing things, Jigha is studying to become a scientist and Luxmi is still ragpicking, but her family might make it out of Dharavi when Sheetal finishes school, and Shailesh is slowly making his way up the acting ladder. The future of Dharavi is unknown because relaters want to bulldoze it and build big, moneymaking skyscrapers. In the end, most likely Dharavi will be wiped out, even though they are amazing people. The sad truth is that they are on government land, and the government can do whatever they want to the land. In the one square mile area of Dharavi, people are doing amazing things, and even in their terrible conditions, they are achieving all their dreams.

Google Images - Dharavi

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Bibliography

Rodd Houston. National Geographic: The Real Slumdogs. CD ROM. Directed by Steve Baker. San Francisco, CA: Independent Television Service, 2010. Krishna Pogari. Ibid