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Improving the lives of Govandi’s slum-dwellers

 In Awareness, Mumbai Smiles

Mumbai Smiles Foundation has increased its focus on Govandi for the year 2019-20

28th May

It’s not been easy for the residents of Govandi. Considered one of the poorest areas in Mumbai, the general public wouldn’t associate the area – which lies on the city’s boundary – with anything except its close proximity to the Deonar 132-hectare dumping ground where hundreds and thousands of tonnes of Mumbai’s garbage is strewn every day. There is a large slum near this dumping ground, which makes up 11 per cent of Mumbai’s slum population. Over a period, these residents have been victims of disease and death due to the abject conditions. And while Govandi’s development has been on the agenda of several state governments, nothing concrete has been done as yet.

Even as people continue to suffer in the area, its population continues to increase. Most of these migrants are farmers from the state and other parts of the country, whose lands are no longer suitable for cultivation due to drought. Due to the close proximity of the dumping ground, and the fact that nobody wants to live here, these migrants build their homes, hoping for a better way of life. Unfortunately, their lives end up as beggars, ragpickers or daily-wage labourers.

This is where Mumbai Smiles Foundation comes in. Mumbai Smiles has identified this issue and has focused on rehabilitating the residents of Govandi for many years. This year, however, Mumbai Smiles Foundation has increased the number of projects to aid the residents of Govandi.

Currently, Mumbai Smiles is working towards setting up the following for the residents of Govandi

• 6 Preschool Centres in Deonar, Chedda Nagar and Sathe Nagar.
• Visitors Center for Visitors/Donors visiting projects of Mumbai Smiles
• School Education Community Center

With the scope of work expanding in the area, the team at Mumbai Smiles Foundation only hopes that it makes a positive impact in improving the lives of the residents.

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