5 paragraph essay - dharavi

8/13/2019 5 Paragraph Essay - Dharavi

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A Reflection onNational Geographic: The Real Slumdogs

Victoria Lyczak

English 6

January 16, 2014


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The slum, Dharavi is located in the middle of Mumbai, India. In one square mile of

living area, there are 1 million inhabitants.

Even though the people of Dharavi live in a

slum, it does not limit their ability to make

their dreams come to life. By examining

Laxmi, Jigha, and Shailesh, you will find

that the people of Dharavi will do anything

to survive. Through all this and the plans of

futuristic Dharavi, we will see the power of this mighty slum.

To begin, the first successful dreamer is Laxmi, who works as a ragpicker - which is a big

part of Dharavi's largest industry - recycling. Laxmi is a single mom trying to afford the costs of

sending her daughter, Sheetal to school while only earning $100 a month at her job. She is

working so hard to send her daughter to school because she believes that education is one of the

most important things one needs to have a better life. Laxmi faces great dangers including

germs, needles, fumes, and chemicals. Her family has been in the ragpicking business for three

generations. Rodd Houston, the narrator ofNational Geographic: The Real Slumdogssays,

Dharavi is a city of dreamers.1 Through hard work, Laxmi is earning her daughter a good

place in life and is working hard to survive.

In continuation, the second dreamer is Jigha, a young boy who dreams of becoming a

scientist. Jigha lives with his father in a small, one-room tailoring shop. In order to fulfill his

vivid dream, he must learn to speak English fluently and study very hard. This young man goes

to one of the twelve schools in Dharavi. In addition to this, he takes computer classes at the

1Rodd Houston. National Geographic: The Real Slumdogs. CD ROM. Directed by Steve Baker. San Francisco, CA:

Independent Television Service, 2010.

Figure 1 - Google Images - Dharavi Slum


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school run by a charity. Jigha believes that even if you are a slum dweller, you can still achieve

your dreams and goals; which is the motto of Dharavi. With hard work and studying, Jigha will

continue to fulfill his dream of being a scientist.

For a final example, there is a third successful dreamer - Shailesh, a rickshaw driver.

Shailesh is a dreamer whose dream is just beginning. He is beginning to become a Bollywood

star - even if he has only played a small part in a music video. This man knows that he can sleep

on an empty stomach, but his wife and children

cannot. Laxmi the single mom says, Nobody

starves in Dharavi. There are lots of

opportunities for work.2 With all of this in

mind, it is quite clear that Shailesh is doing

everything within his power to provide for his

family and to become a Bollywood star.

All in all, the people of Dharavi may live in a densely populated slum, but that does not

limit their ability to make their dreams come true. Through the examination of Laxmi and

Shailesh, it is clear that the adults of Dharavi will do anything to provide for their families. By

examining Jigha, it is clearly shown that the people of Dharavi would do anything and

everything in their power to make their dreams come true. It is not all a happy dream though -

Dharavi must continue to work hard and produce their goods to do their part in making Mumbai

the city it is. If they do not, the slum might be destroyed. Worse yet, the ten billion dollar worth

land where the slum is might be sold to real estate agents, and then Mumbai might be at a higher

risk for falling from its rising position in power. If that were to happen, the dreams of the slum

2Laxmi. Ibid.

Figure 2 - Google Images - Rickshaw


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would be thrown away too. In conclusion, Dharavi is a city full of dreamers that will work hard

and complete any task for the sake of survival.

Figure 3 - Google Images - Map of Mumbai, India


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BIBLIOGRAPHY

National Geographic: The Real Slumdogs. CD ROM. Directed by Steve Baker.

San Francisco, CA: Independent Television Service, 2010.

5 paragraph essay - dharavi

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