LEARNING TO LIVE: Slum-dwellers of Jagjeevan Ram Nagar near Mir Alam Mandi at Charminar, Hyderabad, eke out livelihood by working on tyres. — Photo: D. GopalakrishnaN

HYDERABAD: Slum-dwellers have no identity other than being land grabbers. As such, many of them survive under the daily threat of eviction. Slum-dwellers in Jagjeevan Ram Nagar in Mir Alam Mandi in Charminar area have set themselves apart.

Residents here have not only fought to claim the land in which they work, but they also constructed houses, using loans that they collected. People here work on tyres, cutting up those that are thrown away to make chappals, belts, catapults, etc.

Slum dwellers here fought the case in court, paying Rs. 40 per square feet to claim the land in Jagjeevan Ram Nagar. "This was our first step, we later made savings of Rs. 30 per month in the year 1997, this way gathering enough money to get loans for construction of pucca houses," said Venkatamma, a resident here.

Sajida Begum who works with Care of Widows (CoW), co-ordinates health programmes for women here under India Population Project 8 (a project of collaboration between India and the World Bank in the health sector).

Creating awareness

Link volunteers have aided Ms. Begum, who now works with COVA, in advising women and men in this slum about family planning, sanitation and polio administration. These volunteers are from the `basti' and each of them has undertaken the responsibility to educate 20 families.

The residents were dissatisfied with mere health programme. Therefore, with the help of the women here, Care of Widows had set up a play school for children.

Meanwhile, Mahita, another organisation held tuition classes with UNICEF aid for older children for two hours every day, says Ms. Begum who is also associated with Mahita.

Though the play school and tuition classes are no longer run, K. Anita, who is a member of the motivational centre, says "An attitudinal change is achieved after we wound up the classes. Parents who were unwilling to let their children stray away from their sight, now at least let them go to a nearby school free of cost."

Loans for applicants

Women here also applied for loans in August this year so that they, along with their husbands, can keep their tyre business going. "The Collector's has office promised loans for ten applicants out of 20. We are still waiting for the money," said Bhagyamma, another resident.

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