When Childhood Becomes Survival: Silent Struggles Of Dharavi's Children

Mumbai: In Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum, thousands of children are growing up without a real childhood. For them, the slum life is a survival. With no playgrounds, no libraries, and schools that are crowded, children here grow up with little space to dream. Their early years are marked by confinement and uncertainty.

Dreams Cut Short

Poverty, child labour, and the lack of opportunities cut short their hopes. Anil Bhandare, a cobbler and father of three from Dharavi, said the lack of recreational spaces has caged the children in.

“Children can’t go anywhere to play as there are no gardens or playgrounds. Even my childhood had nothing. My children also have the same fate. None of them played any outdoor games. Children can’t be allowed to play on roads. It’s dangerous because it is always crowded and there are lot of vehicles. I feel children are confined in Dharavi’,” Bhandare said.

He points out that while a swimming pool has recently opened near Dharavi, its fees are out of reach for someone like him. “In the same fees we buy monthly ration,” he added. For parents, safety is a pressing concern.

Rehan Sayyad from Rajiv Gandhi Nagar explains how fear keeps children indoors. “Parents fear to send children outside as they can very easily pick up foul language, drug-addiction and hooliganism being in the surroundings of some. I don’t ever take or send my daughters to any place here. There are no public libraries where they can go and read books. My daughters play on their mobile. Too much screen time is hurting their eyes,” he said.

According to Noor Khan, legal advisor of Global Giving Foundation, the environment itself is hostile to growth. “In this cramped and chaotic setting, children are deprived of basic amenities that are essential for healthy development. There are no playgrounds, no open spaces, and no libraries to foster a love for learning. The schools, overcrowded and under-resourced, lack even the most fundamental facilities, including playgrounds where children can engage in physical activity and social interaction. This toxic environment stifles their growth, both socially and economically, forcing many to abandon their studies at an early age,” Khan explained.