The defining event of 2020 has been the COVID-19 pandemic. As countries struggled to deal with the pandemic, we also witnessed a never before seen near-global lockdown. Shivaji Nagar in M East Ward of Mumbai comprises some of the most marginalised communities of urban poor in the city, and the circumstances of this year have … Continue reading Shivaji Nagar, M East Ward: 2015 & 2020
COVID-19 and its effects, developed as they did at the turn of the decade, gave everyone an opportunity to pause. To those with the privileges to do so, this created opportunities to reflect and assess journeys, and recalibrate thoughts and priorities for the months and years ahead. At Apnalaya, we used this opportunity to think … Continue reading Developing Informed Citizens – Apnalaya’s 10-year vision
Rahul* (35) was an autorickshaw driver and came to reside in Padma Nagar, a cluster of informal settlements within Shivaji Nagar in 2005. With the income he earned. he sent his children to school and lived on rent in a 10×8 sq. ft room. He lives with his wife and his youngest son, who is … Continue reading Locked Down Today – Invisible Forever
“I head out for the distribution in the morning. I feel really good that I can help the people of the basti during this time as most families don’t have ways to sustain themselves. I also feel very glad that I get to go out of the house,“ said Naseem Jaffar Ali Shaikh, a Field … Continue reading Stepping up for the community
Living in a slum area like Shivaji Nagar during the lockdown is difficult, it is even more difficult when one is pregnant. *Afreen (26) lives in Indira Nagar with her husband and her one-month old baby. They came to Mumbai 1 year ago from Lucknow in search for a better livelihood. Afreen had regularly been … Continue reading Pregnancy during a lockdown
There are 4 public toilets in total in Rafi Nagar area of Shivaji Nagar, and other than this there are wooden makeshift toilets built by the community members at the end of the lanes (near the nala), which only they have access to. Very few houses have their own toilets. These cater to the sanitation … Continue reading Pottynama: The toilet situation in Shivaji Nagar
Webinar on Data, Ethics and Privacy during COVID 19 and Beyond Raghunandan Hegde of Apnalaya, set context and introduced speakers. With COVID-19 sweeping the country and the world, relief efforts have amplified and relief actors have begun organising and contributing money and material almost overnight. But is there a cost to be paid for the … Continue reading Webinar on Data, Ethics and Privacy during COVID 19 and Beyond: Meeting Notes
“My friends and I couldn’t give time at home before lockdown. We stayed out for a lot of reasons like tuitions, college, classes after college etc. Since the lockdown, we have managed to spend a lot of time with each other; a little too much if I can be honest!” says a gleeful 19 year old Anjuman, who is a … Continue reading COVID-19 lockdown: Silver lining
Nasreen Ansari lives in Rafi Nagar just 2 kms away from the Govandi Harbour line suburban Railway Station in Mumbai. This 21 year old was all geared to appear for her final year BA examinations when the sudden lockdown due to COVID-19 was announced. The word ‘Nagar’ means city and ironically Rafi Nagar, a large cluster of informal settlements, flanked by an open nallah or drain and the garbage … Continue reading Lockdown and the cities within
Anjuman (19), a first-year commerce student has been with Apnalaya for around seven years. She joined as a Khula Aasmaan Kabaddi athlete and is now a School Saheli mentor and a Prevention of Violence against Women & Children (PVWC) volunteer. “Initially it was very difficult to convince my family to let me go play Kabaddi … Continue reading Anjuman’s Story
apnalayalifeonthemargins.wordpress.com 