A city-based NGO—Committed Communities Development Trust (CCDT)—has been organising workshops for youth residing in slums wherein they were taught how to take up their issues with the BMC. The aim of the workshop is to reduce their dependency on local corporators and NGOs make the youth informed stakeholders.

Haseen Khan, mother of Aika, shared how they have until now they were dependent on the corporator to get problems addressed by the BMC. “Today I learnt that by writing letters directly we can track progress of our application. Aika comes home and teaches,” she said. Sukanya Podar, managing trustee, CCDT, said people underestimate the underprivileged but they are powerhouses. “The program is a community-led intervention, aiming to get the youth to participate in planning for civic issues.”