Deonar slum kids want to show you their Mumbai

These youngsters will present a skit on the lack of civic amenities in their area at Sophia College on Monday

Amidst the city of dreams lies Deonar, where 44% children are underweight, 57% have stunted growth, 29% are out of school and 88% pregnant women are anaemic. It has no hospitals and no maternity homes, but is home to India’s largest and deadliest dumping ground. And now, 50 slum children from Deonar have had enough.

The slum kids will perform at Sophia college on Monday.

“People seem to be unaware of the problems we face because of lack of civic amenities. We want to show Mumbaiites that this is also part of the city,” said 18-year-old Asrunnisa Siraj Khan, a second-year Arts students who will present a skit along with her friends from the Shivaji Nagar slums at Sophia College on Monday.

Titled ‘Yeh bhi hai Mumbai, meri jaan’, the group will dance and mime their anger and frustration over the lack of civic amenities.

The event is being hosted by Apnalaya, an NGO that has been working towards the development of marginalised communities in Mumbai. The children and youth, aged between 10 and 25 years, have conceptualised and choreographed the items for the show.

Arun Kumar, CEO, Apnalaya, said: “This is the first time we are organising this unique cultural show that aims to spread awareness among the larger populace of Mumbai about the problems related to health, sanitation, education and open spaces in the city. We don’t want Shivaji Nagar to be associated only with garbage; we want Mumbaiites to know that even children from this area have tremendous potential and talent.”