DELHI SLUM WALK
April 11: We met in the hotel lobby at 8:15 and journeyed
via cabs and foot through crowded Delhi slums to a G-Adventure sponsored
school for kids (runaways, street kids, from poor families). A young man
from Salam Balak (Janaid?) took us through old Delhi to the Boys Home sponsored
by G-Adventures. They are given basic education, sports. etc. The groups
in IndoChina were more interesting as they were taught the restaurant and
culinary trade. These boys were mostly orphans, runaways, and from poor
families. The whole purpose in life for many of the street kids is to obtain
glue and gasoline for sniffing.
Our young host walked us through quite an area of OLD
OLD buildings now used as "homes". It's hard to believe people actually
live in these conditions. It's also hard to believe that street people
all along the streets can earn a living selling bags of chips, bars, etc.
While walking through alleys we came upon a very narrow one with paintings
of various gods on one wall. Bill was the only one who guessed the purpose
of the paintings - to stop people peeing in the alley! They believe their
gods are watching them.
The boys home is in a tall building with security.
They are of various ages and they all came to shake hands, saying the few
English words they knew. We went up three flights of stairs (one floor
was for training deaf people) to an office where there were journals, post
cards, T-shirts for sale. Finally, Parakrum (Perry) took over and off we
went walking again.
Delhi is SO crowded -- there is so much garbage,
everywhere, and realistically, HOW can they keep the city clean with so
many people. There are so many people, many homeless, and kids . . . and
cows. The majority of the houses in these shanty town areas are very old
and run down - we cannot imagine living in such conditions. There are broken
buildings, some in mid construction but run out of money, broken bricks,
cement, and walls just stay wherever they fall. Homeless are sleeping anywhere
and everywhere -- on sidewalks, alleys and in make shift shacks of made
from whatever material they can find. Roofs are held down with rocks,
old tires, etc. It really has to be seen to believe. This is all in stark
contrast to the built up modern city areas which have made India a major
exporter of goods worldwide.
