The Hindu : MCD keen to replicate Tigri slum development project

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 22, 2002

Other States

Other States - New Delhi

MCD keen to replicate Tigri slum development project

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI APRIL 21. Following the success of the first experimental project to develop a self-reliant community-based management model at Tigri Village in South Delhi with the help of the Fore School of Management, the Slum Wing of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi is now keen to replicate the model in other slums across the city.

As part of an effort to apply management principles to the poverty sector, a project was started way back in the Eighties at the Janta Jeevan Camp in Tigri for improving the quality of life of people living in the slums through self-help by women. The brain behind the project was N.K.Singh, who now heads the Delhi School of Business.

Following Schumacher's oft-repeated aphorism "we cannot give you fish, but we can teach you how to catch fish'', the 4,000-odd women here have been motivated to become members of a self-help group called the Tigri Mahila Vikas Sangh. This institution, to this day, is functioning under the leadership of Pushpa Devi, a semi-literate woman.

Three major community projects were started here -- building a school of non-formal education up to Class V, adult education and community cleaning. Committed to the improvement of living conditions, protection of environment and upgrading the quality of life, the Mahila Vikas Sangh has been successful in undertaking an integrated course of development by working in the areas of education, sanitation, health and family planning, environment and employment generation.

Today, more than 400 children study in the school which runs from its own building. Scholarship for poor children, training, sports club, family planning, and a host of other beneficial activities are undertaken by the residents themselves for the other residents.

``Environment and slum development thus far has been approached through the strategies of aiding slums by expertise from external agencies or by involving slum residents as employees or helpers in the work undertaken by various agencies. The unique feature of this project is that the entire work is being managed by the women themselves,'' says Prof. Singh.

The attitudinal change is all too obvious for anyone who visits the area today. Before 1989, there was no sense of self- management among the women and they were excessively dependent on external agencies. ''After the birth of Vikas, there has been a spurt in welfare activities through self-management,'' says Prof. Singh.

There was absolutely no safai campaign in the area and the attitude was "we are not jamadar -- hum ye kaam nahin karenge'' (We are not jamadars. We will not do this job). Community participation in regular Safai campaigns is a normal feature in the slums these days.

Taking up responsibilities was another attitudinal change that was brought about. Earlier, residents of Janta Jeevan Camp used to pass on the blame to the government. "We have learnt enough from the project to be able to carry on,'' said one Vikas member, asserting that their enthusiasm will not die out.

While earlier there was no climate of cooperation and help, today community spirit has been inculcated. From day one, each of the 7,000 jhuggies has been contributing Re.1 for the various welfare activities that are undertaken here. The slum dwellers are now treated with respect everywhere.

And now with a view to replicate this "model'' process of development in other slums, the Additional Municipal Commissioner, Manjit Singh, has written to Prof. Singh urging him to help push forward the Tigri Community School project and the other associated self-reliant institutions. "We can develop a collaborative project of the Slum Wing, MCD and the Delhi School of Business and also involve the corporate sector for improving the life of the urban poor in the Capital.''

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

Stories in this Section

DPCC hunger strike continues

Details sought from Customs on Sam Avia

MCD keen to replicate Tigri slum development project

Vaccine manufacturers flayed

CBI asked to decide on prosecution of Agarwal