Speech and Hearing slum... A recent MSDF success was with the Speech & Hearing slum, which had been occupied by 80 families for 25 years. The slum was situated on land in Mysore owned by the PWD, with the inhabitants living in constant fear of eviction. The residents, with MSDF support, launched a struggle to obtain land from the Mysore Urban Development Authority, resulting eventually in the allocation of a piece of government land in Roopa Nagar, 8km from Mysore. Next, the residents successfully lobbied the Slum Clearance Board to build houses for them. They were given possession of the new houses in August 2003, and other basic amenities such as toilets, electricity and water supplies have followed since. The residents of Roopanagar (rehabilitated from Speech and Hearing slum) are happy to have a respectable roof over their heads, the first step towards a life with dignity.

 

 
 
PROGRAMME
Community based Organisation
Slum development
The Mysore Slum Dwellers' Federation (MSDF) has emerged with the support of RLHP to become a powerful voice for advocacy with over 40,000 members from the 56 slum areas that RLHP works with in Mysore, Mandya and Chamarajnagar districts. MSDF is a union of Community Based Organisations that have been formed in each slum to organise residents and work on issues such as building community through capacity building measures for a dignified sustainable life, getting basic facilities, and protecting the rights of slum dwellers.
The monthly public meetings in all slums enable the people for collective action for total development. Mass contact programmes are organised at some slums, enabling effective dialogue between slum dwellers and the government. This direct interaction with officials from various government departments has yielded action to improve provision of basic facilities including house, water, electricity, roads, school, drainage and toilets.
Work has also been undertaken by RLHP, in collaboration with the government and with MSDF, to improve the quality of housing in slums - for instance, in Kudremala slum in Mysore 118 new houses were constructed to replace the unhygienic thatched huts that people had lived in previously.

Key Achievements

  • MSDF has become a credible force at government level with bargaining power.
  • Increased collective action for protection of rights of slum dwellers.
  • Slums have obtained basic facilities from the government
  • Strengthened people's socioeconomic and political empowerment.
   
Funding:  MISEREOR,  TDH,
     
   
     
 
 
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