Magic Bus' work in this community is made possible with the support of our donors, Avantika and Rahul Malhotra.
Thank you, Avantika and Rahul!
Block C, Sawda, in the north-western block of Delhi district is a small resettlement community. This 11-year-old community is inhabited by migrants from other states of the country.
Employment opportunities in Sawda are limited. Most of the men are involved in manual, daily-wage labour. The women in this community work as domestic helps in nearby houses. Many children work as rag pickers.
There are about 140 children in the community, of which 68 are girls. Boys in Sawda have little direction or guidance, and many get caught up in illegal activities. As a result, girls are encouraged to stay indoors, and are generally not allowed to share the playground with boys and play.
Another issue that the community faces is the lack of proper sanitation and drainage. Many houses do not have toilets and children defecate in the open.
As Magic Bus works in the areas of gender equity and health and hygiene, we set up a programme here, and Sport for Development sessions in Block C Sawda started in 2011. Twenty two-year-old Neha, the Magic Bus Youth Mentor is assisted by seven volunteers from the community.
A few of the areas of behaviour change addressed by Magic Bus volunteers and mentors include:
Sessions are held for two hours each on Thursdays and Saturdays and are divided into three parts: