In addition to calling the city home, many Brandeis University students, alumni, and partners have chosen Mumbai, India as a place of work and dedication to social issues. They have founded NGOs or projects focused on community development, helping underprivledged children get an education or engage young adults in performance art. This photo essay highlights two projects: the NGO Mobile Creches, involving alum Devika Mahadevan ’00 (above, left); and the Brandeis student organization Revive Mumbai, a group formed in the wake of the November 2008 attacks. You can click through the photos using the white arrows on the right or by hitting NEXT.

Formed in 1969, Mobile Creches (www.mumbaimobilecreches) is an organization devoted to the children of migrant construction workers in India. Some 30 million workers move around from site to site, often leaving the children without access to education and regular healthcare. Mobile Creches — which operates in Mumbai, Delhi, and Pune — provides childcare, medical attention, and teaching to these children. Mumbai Mobile Creches reaches approximately 5000 children in the city each year. NEXT

“Last year I met Dashrath Rathod. Now 24 years old, he told me he had come to an MMC centre when he was five. He was working as a tea boy on a construction site and it was the first time he had seen a school. He had to be dragged, kicking and screaming, to class, but the faith the MMC teachers put in him eventually paid off. He began to study, and even when he moved to another site, he continued to go to school, with MMC’s support. Today he is an advocate. He showed me that all the children need is a bit of encouragement and a chance. And that’s what MMC gives them. They do the rest.”

Devika Mahadevan ’00 (above, center)   NEXT

“Revive Mumbai” is a Brandeis student-run organization that was formed in the wake of the November 2008 terrorist attacks. Several students thought the best response to such a horrific event were projects that supported coexistence and peace, especially among underprivileged youth. The students began a scholarship fund named in honor of Rabbi Holtzberg and his wife, as well as conceived a summer internship program for Brandeis students in Mumbai.

These next few slides highlight the work of the summer program, where Brandeis students worked at the Parivartan School in partnership with the Experimental Theater Foundation. The goal was to help teach the children methods of expression and produce an original street play with the students as “actors.” Brandeis students kept a blog of their work, and the following slides feature excerpts from the blog. You can also find more information about the summer program at BrandeisNOW.  NEXT

“Dariya ki kasam, mauja ki kasam ye tana bana badlega… Tu khud ko badal, tu khud ko badal, tabhi to zamana badlega…”

“Swearing on the Seas, and on the people these complaints will change. Change yourself, change yourself, and that’s how the world will change.”

~ from the Revive Mumbai Summer Program Blog. Top left is Zohar Fuller ’10, one of the Brandeis participants. NEXT

At recess Gayatri turned to me, positioned her arms to play the swirling game and asked if I would play. WHAT?! A sign that today would be full of liveliness! I twirled with her, she was so happy and free. The music played from the laptop, and all of a sudden the bare classroom turned into a playful fun house. Jumping, Bollywood dance moves, swinging kids upside down like planes, shaking bodies left right up down, we were laughing, having fun, twirling more with the kids we were in it. Everyone was smiling, kids were excitedly coming back from break. Now there is a new definition of recess. We were actually playing and enjoying each other’s company.

~ from the Revive Mumbai Summer Program blog. NEXT

We first sat in a circle and went over names and said “one thing that you would like to do when you grow up that you haven’t been able to do before.”

~ from the Revive Mumbai Summer Program Blog. Pictured center is Brandeis student Ria Chadha ’11. NEXT

The Parivartan School, Revive’s partner for the summer program, was set up in 1997 to provide education to children of the Wadala slum in Mumbai. With the nearest public school a 45-minute walk from the slum, many kids cannot attend regularly and Parivartan provides an on-site need. Parivartan was founded by the Association for India’s Development, an NGO. NEXT

Hina had refused to be a part of anything until two days ago when they decided that they wanted to sing. Khushnuma had never been to school and had just come from the village for the first time. Her Hindi wasn’t fluent and she was very shy. But she wanted to sing, and so she did. Both these girls were not consistent in being comfortable enough to sing. They refused during practice, but today they voluntarily stood up! Everything was falling into place. Shoab ended the play with a strong comment on “how are we supposed to work in a world like this when we have so many problems? We all have dreams and we want to be something after studying, but how can we when we live in a society like that!? Please tell me! Please tell me!”

Everyone was very impressed with the children, their acting, their message, their dialogues and with us. They got perspective. The children were very happy with their performance as well! Hearing everyone’s comments, their confidence level shot rocket-high and they were ready to go outside.

~ from the Revive Mumbai Summer Program blog. NEXT

Sahil, the boy who played the role of a drunken father, was the only one who had played his role very badly compared to usual. He kept laughing and just said all his dialogues softly and without any expression. The rest of the kids as well as Gayathri teacher were shouting at him while he was really quiet. We called him close to us and spoke to him. We asked him how he felt when he acted the role outside. He said he felt shy and he would not like to do it in front of the public, as there were people he knew. He also said he would never do it in front of his parents. He said that he was comfortable and would do it well inside but he was not sure he’ll do it well outside. We told him that he has the courage and was a very good actor and that the point of this play is to show everyone outside what is really happening. He agreed to do it on Monday but said he doesn’t know if he’ll do it well or not.

~ From the Revive Mumbai Summer Program Blog. NEXT