Vasuma Chaparala #102 Dharavi Does anyone make 1 million dollars every single day?

Indias largest slum, Dharavi makes about one million dollars a day. Dharavi is sandwiched between two railroads in the heart of Mumbai, a megacity in India. In Dharavi, about one million people live in only one square mile. Because of the scarcity of land and over population, every person struggles to get the simplest necessities. Even though the whole slum makes about one million dollars a day, unfortunately each person makes about one dollar a day. Unfortunately, people still have to live off, of that very little income they get. Even though its a slum, it is very successful. The reason Dharavi is successful is because everyday goods are produced non-stop, the parents believe in their children and give them hope, and the dreamers dont let go of their dreams. To begin with, would anyone have to sort trash out every day to get paid? Laxmi, a rag picker, which is also known as recycling, does that every day for a living. Rag picking is the largest industry in Dharavi. Unfortunately, she faces many dangers like disease, having to go through chemical waste, human waste, and industrial waste. Her daughter is luckier than most children in Dharavi. Instead of rag picking with her mother, she gets to go to school! She is one of the very few children in Dharavi who gets to go to school just like other children who are more fortunate than she is. In Laxmis spare time, she volunteers at the Acorn Foundation by rag picking so others can have a better life. Secondly, Jigha is a twelve year old boy who lives with his father. His father owns a singleroom tailor shop, in the middle of the pottery district, which is one of 15,000 other factories in Dharavi. These single-room factories are the backbone of Dharavis economy. When Jigha

grows up, he would like to be a scientist. To accomplish this, he takes extra classes. There, he studies hard and learns English. He feels that even poor people can accomplish what wealthy people can do. With this motivation, Jigha can accomplish anything he wants too. Lastly, not many people can become actors, but there is one man in Dharavi who is trying to. Shailesh is a rickshaw driver in Mumbai. His dream is to become a Bollywood actor. Though he loves acting, his first priority is to provide for his family. Even though he makes only 240 dollars a month, he still saves some to pay for his tuition for an acting class. He attends an acting class, where his teacher, helps him become a better actor. Recently, he made a small video of him singing and dancing. A producer saw it and gave him a small part in a music video. His motto is: I wont give up. With this attitude, Shailesh can be in any Bollywood movie he wants. In conclusion, Dharavi is successful because everyday goods are produced non-stop, the parents believe in their children and give them hope, and the dreamers dont let go of their dreams. These people in Dharavi are fighting to survive in the most extreme circumstances. In 2007, a proposal was made to level Dharavi. Mumbai would like to sell the land to developers for 10 billion dollars. Mumbai would like to become Asias premiere city. In order to do this, they must get rid of Dharavi. Unfortunately, if this happens, the people who live in Dharavi wont have a place to go or live. This is the future thats headed for Dharavi.