Misaal Mumbai: Slums get a colorful and vibrant face-lift
A walk through the dingy bylanes of around 13 slums, which cover a vast expanse of Mumbai and Thane, now gives positive vibes when one sees those dark and dull hutments looking all colorful and vibrant. The dash of pink and yellow hues on these hutments was the part of "Misaal Mumbai" initiative, which was launched by Mumbai-based artist and social worker Rouble Nagi.
Want to improve the living standards of slum dwellers: Nagi
Since January, Nagi's team gave a coat of lively colors to around 24,000 hutments. Her team has also painted murals on about 300 walls, which has not only transformed Mumbai's skyline but also generated interest among tourists who earlier had a different impression about the city's shanties. "With these coats, our primary objective is to improve the living standards of slum dwellers," Nagi said.
Nagi's NGO also waterproofed roofs of several shanties
"The roofs of several shanties were waterproofed in a few localities that few of the slum dwellers found hard to believe," Nagi said. Nagi said her NGO has also planned to replicate the same in other states. She believes that until the interest of an artist shifts from personal achievement to a sense of communal service, his or her work cannot grow.
Nagi's NGO has been conducting workshops with 32+ childcare-centers
The Rouble Nagi Art Foundation has been conducting workshops with over 32 "balwadis" (child care centers) in Mumbai and buoyed by its success, it launched the "Misaal Mumbai" initiative to color and repair the slum areas.
