The time went very quickly. Anna Nagar itself is a reasonable well established slum with running water, electricity, TVs in some houses (one room where all family live and sleep) and drainage systems. On Saturday, we went to a slum in the North of Delhi where 3000 families from the Punjab were living. They moved to Delhi about 25 years ago following a civil war. Many losts husbands and siblings. It is a well established slum but Asha only started working there a few weeks ago. It is run by slum lords and male leaders. Houses were basic but large – no electricity apart from that siphoned off the mains supply! Fresh water is delivered to the slum once a day. There was no drainage system so the smell was bad. Toilets not being serviced by government. Some of the children go to school but there was not much hope (from male leaders) that they would go on to college/university/etc. The leaders want Asha’s help to provide healthcare and education support for slum dwellers. They want help with the drains too. Over the coming months, Asha will work with the men, women and children of this slum to try to get things in place.

It’ll be interesting to hear the comparison between the slums where Asha’s been working for a while and the slum where they’re just getting going.