Mobile Health Care
Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in the world. According to the la Fundación del Cáncer de Mama (FUCAM) (the Breast Cancer Foundation), breast cancer is the second cause of death in Mexico. The Fundación Tómatelo a Pecho (Take it to Heart), attests that the mortality rate has increased in the last fifty years. It is believed that by 2012, 130 thousand women had experienced breast cancer. Leer más o discutir.
Estrategias de alimentación para la población vulnerable en el DF
El Distrito Federal cuenta con un alto nivel de ingresos per cápita; sin embargo, la distribución de los ingresos es de alta desigualdad. Este grado de desigualdad dejó al 13.4 por ciento de la población del D.F. en pobreza alimentaria. De acuerdo al Consejo Nacional de Evaluación de la Política Social, esta población tiene un ingreso que se encuentra por debajo de la línea de bienestar mínimo y no tiene la manera de recaudar los $1,177.04 pesos necesarios que se necesitan al mes para alimentar a sólo una persona. Leer más o discutir.
Access to food for Mexico City's vulnerable populations
Mexico City has a high level of income per capita, but the distribution of income is highly unequal. This high inequality is partly responsible for the 13.4 percent of Mexico City's population that suffers from malnutrition. According to the Consejo Nacional de Evaluación de la Política Social (the National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy), this population is below the poverty line, and cannot afford the $1,177.04 pesos ($96.47 USD) that it takes, on average, to feed one person for a month. Read more or join the discussion.
La necesaria vinculación de la farmacovigilancia y la farmacoeconomía en México
A partir de hace más de 3 décadas el país ha presentado un crecimiento importante en cuanto a la esperanza de vida se refiere. En este sentido, de acuerdo a datos del Banco Mundial, para 2010 la esperanza de vida en el país era de 76.68 años, cifra únicamente inferior, en Latinoamérica, a la observada por Costa Rica (79.19 años). Leer más.
Planeación urbana participativa
El Pueblo San Andrés Totoltepec en la Delegación Tlalpan ha sido parte de una metodología de planeación urbana instrumentada por la Organización Fomento Solidario de la Vivienda (FOSOVI). Dicha organización busca desarrollar el diseño y planteamiento del hábitat popular a través de metodologías participativas, y que incida en el diseño de las políticas públicas. El eje central de esta metodología es un proceso dinámico basado en la capacidad y voluntad de la sociedad para guiar su propio destino. Este proceso parte de la Investigación-Acción-Participativa; una herramienta que vincula la reflexión, el diálogo, la acción y el aprendizaje entre los actores involucradas y externos para promover el empoderamiento de las comunidades excluidas de los procesos socio-políticos. Leer más o discutir.
Participatory urban planning
The town of San Andrés Totoltepec, located in the administrative borough of Tlalpan, has been part of an urban planning methodology implemented by the Organización Fomento Solidario de la Vivienda — FOSOVI (the Social Fund for Housing). This organization uses participatory methodologies to design public policy; the core is to create a dynamic process based on the capacity of society to guide its own future. This is known as participatory action research, a tool that links reflection, dialogue and the knowledge of the actors involved in order to promote the empowerment of excluded communities in the process of public policy. Read more or join the discussion.
Servicios básicos para asentamientos urbanos pobres y marginados
El rápido crecimiento en las urbes ha tenido como consecuencia a la reproducción de espacios de diferenciación social donde se reproduce la marginación y la pobreza. En este sentido, actores en la esfera internacional promueven el bienestar de las personas que viven en estas condiciones. La declaración de la Cumbre de Estambul de 1996, propuso la realización de Agendas Hábitat para establecer planes de acción que brindaran soluciones a los rezagos sociales, entre ellas "vivienda adecuada para todos" y "desarrollo de asentamientos humanos sostenibles en un mundo en proceso de urbanización". Leer más o discutir.
Basic services for poor and marginalized urban settlements
The rapid growth of major cities has led to the reproduction of marginalization and poverty in increasingly unequal societies. This is emphasized by the creation of under-served areas in the outskirts of cities, where the marginalized population has been distanced from the better socioeconomic conditions and social infrastructure that the city center has to offer. International actors have therefore worked to promote the welfare of of the poor living in these unequal conditions in order to link them with prosperous zones. The 1996 Istanbul Summit Declaration resulted in the Habitat Agendas, which propose a plan of action with regard to human settlement issues, including "proper housing for all" and "sustainable settlement development for humans in an urbanizing world." Read more or discuss.
Alternativas de bienestar para los migrantes de la Cd. de México
En México la migración es el principal determinante del crecimiento demográfico; la diversificación de las actividades económicas ha propiciado la aparición de polos de atracción alternativos que influyen en la movilidad territorial. El Distrito Federal desde los años cincuenta ha sido un lugar de destino de corrientes migratorias de otras entidades federativas, así como de migración intermunicipal en el área de la Zona Metropolitana de la Ciudad de México. Actualmente el DF ya no representa el principal polo de atracción en México, aunque sigue recibiendo migrantes temporales, de tránsito y de residencia. Leer más o discutir.
Welfare alternatives for migrants to Mexico City
In Mexico, migration is the principal determinant of demographic growth: the diversification of economic activities has contributed to the rise of alternative poles of attraction that influence territorial mobility. Ever since the 1950s, Mexico City has been a destination for migratory waves from other states, as well as inter-municipal migration in the city's Metropolitan Zone. Mexico City is now no longer the main destination pole in Mexico, although it does continue to receive temporary transitory and residential migrants. Read more or join the discussion.
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Good food is just around the corner: Rio de Janeiro's first Favela Gastronomic Guide
Good and nutritious food is accessible to all of Rio's residents, no matter where they live. At least this is the message from Sérgio Bloch, Ines Garçoni and Marcos Pinto, the authors of the new "Guia Gastronômico das Favelas do Rio", or "The Gastronomic Guide to Rio's Favelas", the first of its kind. Read more or join the discussion.
Boa comida ao alcance de todos: O primeiro Guia Gastronômico das Favelas do Rio
Comida gostosa e nutritiva está ao alcance de todos os moradores de Rio, sem importar onde eles moram. Este parece ser a mensagem de Sérgio Bloch, Ines Garçoni e Marcos Pinto, os autores do "Guia Gastronômico das Favelas do Rio", que foi lançado o mês passado. Leia mais ou discutir.
Rio's Master Plan
Planning the medium and long-term development of a city is not an easy task — it requires a clear framework and effective tools. In order to understand how planning takes place in Rio de Janeiro, it is important to look at the highlights of the Brazilian planning framework, and then how it is implemented at the city level. Read more or join the discussion.
Plano Diretor do Rio de Janeiro
Planejar o desenvolvimento urbano das cidades no médio e longo prazo é um grande desafio. Para compreender melhor o processo de planejamento urbano no Rio de Janeiro, é importante descrever o marco do planejamento no Brasil para logo compreender melhor sua implementação ao nível da cidade. Leia mais ou discutir.
Integrando os bairros de baixa renda à 'cidade formal' por meio de transporte e emprego
Neste mapa do Rio de Janeiro, os bairros de baixa renda estão identificados em laranja, facilitando nossa compreensão sobre sua localização. Aquele mapa também nos permite aprender que estes bairros não estão localizados numa única área, mais que eles estão distribuídos pela cidade toda, desde o centro até a periferia, com concentrações na zona norte e oeste. Segundo o último censo nos sabemos que aqueles "pontos laranja" são residência de 20 por cento da população da cidade ou 1,2 milhões de pessoas. Leia mais ou discutir.
Linking informal settlements to the 'formal city' through better transportation and access to employment
In this map of Rio de Janeiro, low-income neighborhoods are identified in orange, providing an easy understanding of their physical distribution. This map also shows that low-income neighborhoods are not located in a particular area of the city, but are spread out from the center to the outskirts, although with higher concentrations in the northern and western areas. The latest census shows that these "orange spots" are home to 1.2 million residents, which is equivalent to 20 percent of Rio's population. Read more or join the discussion.
Greater inclusion of northeastern populations in Rio de Janeiro
In Rio de Janeiro, there is no specific group that can be clearly classified as the "new urban poor." There is no single large group of recently arrived migrants that have become the poorest of Rio's groups. However, there is a special group that deserves our attention: the migrants from Brazil's Northeast region, who migrated to Rio six decades ago, but are still one of Rio's poorest and most excluded populations. Their migration took place between the late 1940s and the 1970s, when a large number of agriculturalists from the northeast migrated to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in search of better paying jobs in civil construction. Read more or join the discussion.
Maior inclusão da população nordestina no Rio
No Rio de Janeiro existe um grupo populacional que merece uma atenção especial: Os migrantes nordestinos e seus descendentes, que com mais de sessenta anos no Rio continuam como uma das populações mais pobres e excluídas da cidade. A migração de nordestinos para São Paulo e Rio de Janeiro aconteceu entre as décadas de 1940 e 1970, onde um número importante de agricultores nordestinos passou a migrar para aquelas cidades em busca de melhores oportunidades de trabalho na construção civil. Leia mais ou discutir.
A deeper understanding of favelas
All around Brazil, including Rio de Janeiro, the term favela is used to refer to a low-income neighborhood. Favelas are often associated with poverty, insecurity, and violence; however, although such problems are still present in many of these communities, there is a lot more to favelas than that — and their negative reputations should be corrected to reflect this. A number of local NGOs and social organizations are currently helping to change the negative perception of favelas and their residents. Read more or join the discussion.
Uma melhor compreensão das favelas cariocas
No Brasil, incluindo Rio de Janeiro a palavra "favela" é utilizada para fazer referência a assentamentos de baixa renda. Na maioria dos casos, as favelas também são associadas com pobreza, insegurança e violência. Embora aqueles problemas sejam uma realidade na maioria destas comunidades, existe muito mais além de nosso conhecimento que merece ser aprofundado sobre as favelas para tirar aquela percepção negativa delas. Para atender a necessidade de ter melhor informação sobre as favelas cariocas, exitem varias ONGs e organizações sociais que estão trabalhando na mudança daquela percepção negativa. Leia mais ou discutir.
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Makoko’s floating school project - an uncertain future
Makoko is a slum settlement on the Lagos Lagoon. There are no reliable population figures, but estimates for the number of inhabitants range from 100,000 to 300,000. According to the NGO Social and Economic Rights Action Center (SERAC), Makoko supplies forty percent of the dried fish sold in Lagos. Read more.
Inclusiveness is all about smashing barriers, not selling statistics
It just doesn't add up. Nigeria is one of the world's fastest growing economies (we've been in that exclusive club for years); Foreign Direct Investment ($8.9bn in 2011, a four-fold increase from a decade before) and Diaspora remittances ($21 billion in 2012) are growing impressively; crude oil prices are at record-high levels – BUT none of these is managing to make an impact on poverty rates. Read more.
What's the vision for the poor, in this mini-planet of slums?
It made international news headlines. An estimated forty thousand persons, rendered homeless in no time, when a demolition squad rolled into Ijora Badia community. It's the way of Lagos, it seems. The poor — who make up the 'informal economy' that reportedly constitutes about 70 percent of the city's population — are perpetually on the run, hounded by government policies that seem to exist for the purpose of making more land available for the minority well-off to play with. (Apparently the bulldozers' metal fist has been dangling above Ijora Badia since 1996/97.) Read more.
Linking gender concerns to urban sanitation improvements
In the area of sanitation, access to improved facilities, expanding women's management and planning opportunities, and improving women's safety and security are inextricably linked. For example, for women working in the market, commuting between destinations, or even for young girls in school, gender concerns limit their access to finding and accessing private spaces to go to the toilet. An October 2012 poll of 500 female residents on their sanitation and safety concerns in the slum communities of Ajegunle, Ijora Badia, Oko Agbon and Otto-Oyingbo sets the scene: two out of every five women said they lack access to sanitation facilities. They develop their own, informal solutions, relieving themselves outside, and in the open, such as behind buildings, in open drains, or off roadways. Read more or join the discussion.
Social Media Week spotlights Lagos media and tech innovations
"How can we use technology to help share information?" asks Peter Ihesie, who developed iPolice Nigeria, a mobile app that crowdsources information on neighborhood-level crime. With the app, users can search and locate the nearest police station, report a crime in the area, and obtain local security and crime news, as well as emergency phone numbers. With this app, Peter is hopeful that people will not only share information, but share it strategically, using his app as a central depot. Read more.
A school that floats: Drawing from local inspirations and design in Makoko
In Makoko, residents' houses and lives, many built on stilts, hover over the polluted, dark waters of the Lagos waterfront and lagoon. But contrary to the perception of the community as a development blight and hurdle to the city's forward development, the design and urbanism firm NLÉ wants to show that Makoko is an inspiration and a model of adaptation for Africa's coastal cities: the firm has designed a prototype school, currently under construction, to float on Makoko's waters, marking an innovative adaptation to challenging circumstances. Read more or join the discussion.
Rethinking transportation in Lagos
Lagos is in a transportation crisis. A city of close to 15 million persons, Lagos is larger than London, but without a train system corresponding to the London Tube. A combination of bad roads, too many cars and trucks, and frequent accidents means that the city is often gridlocked. Everyone who can afford a car buys one, since what passes for public transportation is largely inhospitable — a network of tens of thousands of mini-buses known locally as danfos. In the last few years the government has introduced a bus system that takes advantage of dedicated lanes, but its capacity is a far cry from what is needed. In any case it still has to depend on the overburdened road network. The motorcycle taxis (okadas) that once dominated and defined the metropolis, providing an opportunity for time-challenged travellers to weave through traffic jams, have recently come under the government's hammer. Without radical and intelligent solutions the situation is bound to worsen, as Lagos is Africa's fastest growing city, and the World Bank estimates that there will be more than 20 million people in it by 2020. What is clear is that Lagos cannot hope to make a dent on its traffic situation without forms of mass transportation that can convey large numbers of people outside of the road network. The solutions will lie on land — rail lines — and in the water. Read more.
LagosPhoto Festival brings art to the community via public spaces
The innovative element of the LagosPhoto Festival is its emphasis on community and public accessibility. In a time and space where artistic appreciation is often a privilege few can afford, the festival brings contemporary art — in this case, photography — to the public by siting exhibitions in key community locations. This year, public spaces like Muri Okunola Park in Victoria Island, Falomo Roundabout in Ikoyi, Oworoshoki-Alapere Median, and UBA Park at the University of Lagos in Yaba are among the festival's key venues. Learn more.
From margins to spotlight: unlocking youth creativity through art
In marginalized Lagos communities like Ajegunle and Oshodi, the BornTroWay Creative Arts Project is empowering and spotlighting youth art creativity. The project started in Ajegunle, considered one of Lagos' harshest slum settlements — but also a thriving place where some of the country's premier athletes and performers have grown up. For its youth participants, BornTroWay is making a difference that goes far beyond teaching them to dance, to act, to write a song or rap. Read and discuss.
Makoko residents pursue their right to remain
In July, the Lagos State Government razed the homes, businesses, and livelihoods of more than 20,000 residents of the waterfront community of Makoko, a major slum in the megacity. The recent destruction of homes and livelihoods is not a new phenomenon in this waterfront community: Seven years ago, in April 2005, the government led a similar exercise, demolishing houses, churches, shops, and community health clinics, and displacing more than 3,000 people. The trend of these demolitions, and similar ones in Lagos State and across the country over the past few years, highlights the insecure position of land tenancy and title for residents in informal communities and slums like Makoko. Read and discuss.
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Microfinance for inclusive growth
Microfinance has proven to be one of the most effective, targeted tools to promote pro-poor economic growth. Inclusive growth is one of post-revolutionary Egypt's goals, and microfinance is indeed effective in creating growth that focuses on increasing social justice, closing the income gap, and creating new job opportunities. There are over 400 micro-finance institutions (MFIs) currently operate in Egypt, positioning microfinance services as key tools for impacting the poor. Read more or join the discussion.
تشجيع الإجراءات الجماعية لإدارة المياه والمحافظة عليها
أثبت التمويل الأصغر المعروف ب'microfinance' أنه من الأدوات الأكثر فعالية لتشجيع الفقراء على النمو الاقتصادي. من إحدى أهداف ما بعد الثورة في مصر هو النمو الذي يشمل جميع فقات الشعب، و قد يخلق التمويل الأصغر النمو الشامل الذي يؤدي إلى زيادة فرص العمل وإنتشار العدالة الإجتماعية. هناك حاليا أكثر من ٤٠٠ مؤسسة للتمويل الصغير في مصر، مما يجعل التمويل الأصغر من الخدمات الرئيسية التي تساعد الفقراء.
Visually challenging stigmas against poverty
Before the revolution, the urban poor in Cairo were largely ignored. They were looked at as a part of life that others knew existed, yet could easily overlook. However, the recent political and social upheaval has changed this: the revolution was built on three main goals of "bread, freedom, social justice," and now includes "human dignity" as a fourth pillar. In these protests everyone is equal, everyone is Egyptian, and everyone is part of the collective voice. Read more or join the discussion.
تحدي مفاهيم الفقر عبر فن الجرافيتي
كانت الحكومة و الناس يتجاهلون الفقراء إلى حد كبير قبل الثورة. كان الجميع يعرف أنهم موجودون في كل أنحاء المدينة، و لكنهم لم يهتمون بهم. لكن الاضطرابات السياسية والاجتماعية الأخيرة غيرت الأحوال: تم بناء الثورة على ثلاثة أهداف رئيسية وهم الخبز, الحرية، والعدالة الاجتماعية, وتم إضافة الكرامة الانسانية كركيزة رابعة. كان الجميع على قدم المساواة في هذه الثورة ، و توحد كل المصريين لتحقيق هدف مشترك. وقد أدت هذه التغييرات السياسية إلى إنتشار فن الجرافيتي في الأماكن العامة. تعبر الكتابات والرسومات على الجدران عن العديد من القضايا الاجتماعية والسياسية التي يتعرض لها سكان القاهرة يوميا, و تعرض أساليب فن الجرافيتي زاوية جديدة وثاقبة في قضايا الفقر بالمناطق الحضرية.
Encouraging collective action for water management and conservation
Compared to other countries in the Middle East and North Africa, Egypt is much better off with regards to access to freshwater resources, primarily thanks to the Nile. With the majority of the country's population densely situated along the river basin, government statistics show that 99 percent of the country's population has access to water, and access in urban areas is 100 percent. However, these statistics drown the many other political, social and economic issues that surround the water sector. Read more or join the discussion.
تشجيع الإجراءات الجماعية لإدارة المياه والمحافظة عليها
إذا قارنا موارد المياه العذبة المتوفرة بمصر بموارد مياه الدول الاخرى في الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا, نجد أن مصر لديها أكثر كميات من المياه العذبة، و ذلك بفضل نهر النيل العظيم. تشير احصاءات الحكومة أن ٩٩ في المئة من سكان البلد يحصلوا على المياه بطريقة ما, بسبب تواجد معظمهم بجوار نهر النيل. اظهرت الاحصاءات أيضا أن المياه العذبة متوفرة لجميع سكان المناطق الحضرية, ولكن تجاهل هذه الاحصاءات العديد من القضايا السياسية والاجتماعية والاقتصادية التي تظهر في قطاع المياه بمصر.
Escaping the informal sector on the streets
The concept of being homeless in Cairo doesn't follow the traditional patterns seen in the Western hemisphere because of the prominence of Ashwa'eeyat, or slum villages within the city. Most often these are unfinished buildings in which entire families live squashed together in one or two rooms, with hardly any furniture or access to electricity, gas, or running water. The lack of basic services and an adequate standard of living places significant strains on the family. It is common that the children not only perform many of the household duties, but also are left beaten and neglected as their reward. Their only escape from this lifestyle is to run away and find refuge on the street. Read more or join the discussion.
الهروب من العشوائيات إلى الشوارع
ظاهرة التشرد في القاهرة تختلف عن نفس الظاهرة في بلاد الغرب بسبب إنتشار العشوائيات بمصر. في أغلب الحالات تتكون هذه العشوائيات من مباني غير مكتملة, تعيش فيها عائلات بأكملها في مجرد حجرة أو حجرتين دون فرش، لا تصل لهم الكهرباء أو المياه الجارية, و ليس هناك طريقة مباشرة للحصول على الغاز الطبيعي. مستوى المعيشة غير ملائم, و مشكلة عدم وجود الخدمات الأساسية في هذه المناطق تضع ضغوطا كبيرة على الأسرة. تقوم الأطفال بتنفيذ العديد من الواجبات المنزلية، و لا يحصلون على أي نوع من المكافأة, بل يتعرضون للضرب والإهمال. لذلك، فمن الشائع أن تهرب الاطفال من المنزل لكي تبحث عن اللجوء في شوارع القاهرة.
بيت حواء : أول منظمة نسوية متكاملة لحماية النساء في القاهرة
من الشائع أن تتلقى المرأة المصرية بتعليقات سلبية وألفاظ بذيئة حينما تتجول في شوارع القاهرة, وقد تصاب السيدات بعدة أنواع من التحرش أكثر جلف من هذه التعليقات. يبلغ عدد النساء المصرية التي تعرضت للتحرش الجنسي حوالي٤٤ في المئة من مجموع الاناث في مصر وفقاً لتقرير، و قد ترتفع هذه النسبة بشكل مفاجئ في المناطق المدنية. أظهرت تقارير أيضا أن حالات العنف ضد المرأة ازدادت بشكل واضح منذ ثورة ٢٥ يناير, ويعزى هذا الارتفاع إلى اندثار قوات أمن الدولة التي كانت تقمع الشعب.
Beit Hawa: Cairo's first comprehensive women's shelter
It is certainly difficult to walk in the streets of Cairo as a woman without being catcalled at least once. But lewd comments are the least threatening form of sexual assault that occurs. According to the Survey of Young People in Egypt (SYPE), almost 44 percent of all females have experienced sexual harassment, with the highest prevalence in urban areas. Moreover, reports have shown that cases of gender-based violence have become more common since the revolution. This increase has been attributed to the dilapidation of state security forces and the emancipation of the general public from the previously oppressive police force. The issue of violence against women in Egypt, however, is deeply rooted in public opinion on gender roles. Read more or join the discussion.
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A new dawn for Nairobi
Dr Evans Kidero, winner of the newly created Gubernatorial seat of Nairobi County, has promised to tackle head-on the majority of the city's planning, infrastructure, and security problems. Speaking during his inaugural address on the 27th of March this year, Dr Kidero unveiled a seven-point plan with which he intends to bring Nairobi to the status of a World Class African metropolis. The speech highlighted a desire to address the desperate solid waste management situation the city is currently faced with; following that, Dr Kidero promised to focus on infrastructure development, public transport, and replacing informal settlements with low-cost housing. Read more or join the discussion.
Linking those on the informal outskirts to the formal centre
Slums are mostly viewed from the outside as alienated environments in which people languish in abject poverty, barely managing to scrape by. Although there has been some progress toward debunking the stereotype of slum dwellers as lazy, criminal, and somewhat ignorant, there is still an overall perception that people who live in informal settlements are different, not like the rest of society and hence not quite able to get ahead in life. Read more or join the discussion.
Providing for the children of recent rural migrants
Every year thousands of rural migrants stream to Nairobi slums in search of economic opportunities from which they are excluded back home. Recent studies have shown that the majority of slum dwellers are not born in Nairobi, but have come from rural areas to explore the city's livelihood opportunities during their early adult years. When it comes to services for these new arrivals, it seems safe to say that there is no such thing. New arrivals are at the lowest rung of the economic chain and must rely on their own ingenuity, entrepreneurial spirit, and (importantly) family networks in order to get ahead. Read more or join the discussion.
Kibera's own news network
On the 4th of March this year, the day Kenyans went to the polls to elect their fourth president, a large part of the mainstream media covering the elections was stationed in Kibera slum, ready to capture any violence that might erupt. At the end of the day, the general impression was that reporters had been disappointed that Kiberans had patiently spent hours on end in long winding queues as they waited for their turn to vote. "I had so many calls just before the election," Josh Owino, a coordinator for Kibera News Network (KNN), tells us. "International journalists contacted me because they wanted to do stories on how Kiberans were migrating out of the slums to avoid violence; they also wanted me to track down perpetrators from the 2008 post-election violence so they could get direct testimonies from them." Read more or join the discussion.
Reaching out to MSM in slums
On the 27th of May 2012, the Kenyan LGBT news agency Identity reported that two men were caught having sex in the night in Kayole, a north Nairobi slum. According to the article, the men were attacked and stoned. One of them got away, but the other succumbed to his injuries; his body was later found at a dumpsite near where he had been caught. The incident highlights a difficult reality for Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) living in Nairobi slums. Sleeping in cramped quarters, with privacy a luxury that few can afford, and forced to conceal their sexual identity for fear of repercussions, MSM hide in the shadows and often lack access to the medical services the rest of the population enjoys. Read more or join the discussion.
Adopt-A-Light
In a country in which government planning is glaringly absent from its sprawling shantytowns, it takes external actors to tackle some of the infrastructure needs of these underserved locations. Private companies on their own do not generally enter into a slum-upgrading program unless given a concrete incentive to do so. That said, private investment in slums is not uncommon: it is a recognised fact that the small-scale purchasing power of individual slum dwellers really adds up when it is multiplied by the hundreds of thousands of souls that can inhabit an informal settlement. Enter Esther Passaris, part Greek, part Kenyan, brought up in the coastal city of Mombasa, who has spent the better part of a decade harnessing the power of Kenya's businesses to create projects with a positive social impact. Read more or join the discussion.
Cheap solutions to water sterilization find few takers in Nairobi slums
Lack of access to clean water is one of the greatest causes of ill-health and disease in over-populated informal settlements. More often than not, people find themselves paying over the odds prices for water that has been contaminated by waste and raw sewage that run perilously close to the pipelines for domestic-use. In Nairobi, some people take time to boil water in order to sanitize it, but many just drink it as it is, believing that it is not their problem and that they have more important things to worry about. A project that has been test-run over the last couple of years in Kibera, spearheaded by a Swiss aquatic research company called Eawag, tries to address this situation by providing an affordable solution for water sanitization. Read more or join the discussion.
Interview with a homeless youth
Homelessness in Nairobi is not always apparent to the passer-by. By night the streets of central town are not full of people sleeping rough as is often the case in affluent "developed" cities. Even in slums, homelessness is quite contained, with people cramming into tiny huts but not on the beaten paths outside. There is, however, one part of the population that makes a living in the shadows of Nairobi's streets. These are youth, constantly on the run from the police, many of whom make a bed for themselves when night falls wherever they can. Read more or join the discussion.
Training women from Nairobi's slums to fight sexual predators
The story of the Kung Fu Grannies self-defense group in Korogocho — an impoverished neighborhood to the northeast of Nairobi in which more than 100,000 people live crammed into 1.5 square kilometers of land — first hit the news in 2009 and was an instant favorite. The news item pressed all the right buttons: a positive story from a marginalized African slum in which elderly women, so often destined to be helpless victims, were heroes training to fight against would-be rapists. Three years on, the story has lost none of its gloss: the evolution of the No Means No Worldwide (NMNW) program represents an ongoing success story in the fight to prevent violence against women from disadvantaged areas across Nairobi. Read more or join the discussion.
Mathare's Tina Turner
Typically, children in slums are depicted as having few opportunities to break free from the cycle of poverty into which they are born. It's a common assumption that slum kids spend their time working menial jobs, don't go to school, engage in petty crime, and depend largely on charity. Little attention is directed to the real game-changers: those born and brought up in the slum who have made it their lifelong mission to support children who cannot afford to go to school and have no way to pass their days productively. This week we're describing a day in the life of Tina Turner Warimu — a child who, with the help of one such mentor and her own determination, has begun to pave the road toward a bright future. Read more or join the discussion.
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The reality of urban malnutrition
Urban malnutrition is pervasive among children in India's slums. The issue lacks attention in the urban context; instead, discussions of under-nourished children in remote villages capture headlines and government attention. "Official urban health statistics hide the appalling health and nutrition conditions of urban slum dwellers, most of whom are not 'official' residents of the cities, and therefore, do not get included in urban statistics," says a 2004 article, "Nutrition Problems in Urban Slum Children." The study found that only 13 percent of slum children have normal weight. Read more or join the discussion.
Small loans in the big city
Shaila Satpute and her husband have been running a footwear shop in Mumbai for the last 15 years. Their $130 monthly profit goes to taking care of household expenses and the family's future — educating their three children, providing them with opportunities Shaila and her husband were unable to access. The Satputes' always had aspirations to grow their small business, but were unable to save enough to invest in more stock. That all changed when Shaila took a small loan from Mumbai-based microfinance organization, Swadhaar FinServe. Now on her third loan cycle, Shaila's monthly profit has doubled. Read more or join the discussion.
Can India's unique identity initiative influence urban planning?
Urban India can boggle the mind of even the most seasoned planners. The country's economic growth has put metropolitan areas at the center of aspirations, causing widespread migration from rural villages and towns. With little urban planning on which to base the massive population growth, Mumbai has mushroomed chaotically. Transport, housing, water, sanitation, healthcare and education fall short of residents' most basic needs. Few master plans have moved from theory to action. And frustrated citizens have grown increasingly wary of political inaction. Yet one government program, the country's ambitious Aardhaar initiative — which aims to provide every citizen with a unique identification number — has the potential to return planning to foundational basics on which to base equitable urban development. Read more or join the discussion.
Mumbai's poor create new economic hubs
Mumbai's unique geography as a peninsula city has styled its expansion in ways dissimilar to other cities. Rapid population growth in other metropolises explodes outwards in multiple directions, forming suburban pockets in unpredictable bursts. In Mumbai, the only possibility is north, making the push away from the central business area more vast with continued expansion. The result for those living in the northern suburbs and on the edge of the city is a longer and longer train commute on one of only two rail lines. Yet studies have found that despite this natural growth pattern, the poor actually continue to work closer to home than their wealthier counterparts, calling into question the importance of connectivity to the traditional economic center of the city. Read more or join the discussion.
Behind the brick walls: children of migrant construction workers
Mumbai is a city of migrants. Millions of residents have journeyed to the island city from all around the country, bringing a rich diversity of languages, religions, and customs. They come with hopes and dreams of having more than they did in their jobless villages, toiling invisibly in all corners of the city. Many of these migrants are the foundation on which the city is built — literally. Construction is the single largest employer of migrant laborers in India's cities. Both men and women — the poorest of the poor — spend endless hours laying down bricks, carrying cement, chopping away at old roads to bring home a meager living for their families, most of who live right at the sites. Read more or join the discussion.
Bringing a voice to India's red light districts
India's poor have few media outlets of their own. Their struggles for housing, human rights, basic services, equality, and dignity are told in snippets on the nightly news and in newspaper columns. Their dreams and demands are relayed in brush strokes, leaving aside the important details that humanize their existence. Yet a most unlikely group — women in India's brothels — have pioneered a monthly newspaper that gives voice to the women and children in the red light districts of India, and sets an example for a democratic movement toward giving the power of expression to the disenfranchised. Read more or join the discussion.
Curing TB with new awareness campaigns
Millions of people across the globe die of tuberculosis each year. Tragically, nearly all of these cases could have been cured. The public health threat hits hardest in the developing world, where 98 percent of TB deaths occur. Perhaps most unfortunate is the fact that a cost-effective strategy, DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course), has been available for years, yet its promise remains unfulfilled. In Mumbai, the government has gone so far as to make treatments available for free. Yet TB continues to affect the city's poor and vulnerable. Read more or join the discussion.
Partnerships key for equity in Transit Oriented Development
The term Private Public Partnerships (PPP) in India is a dirty one. While partnerships present an opportunity for stakeholder collaboration that generate value by pooling of complementary expertise and resources, the practice in India has meant subcontracting of tasks and strategy by public sector to the private sector with little accountability or responsibilities on outcomes. The only driver of the partnership has been project finance and profits. This has been especially true in housing or slum redevelopment schemes from Dharavi in Mumbai to Katputali colony in Delhi driven by PPPs between city governments and large private developers. Maximizing the value of land while delivering maximum number of low-income housing are contradictory and misleading national policy objectives with fatal social outcomes. Read more.
Incorporating rag pickers into city planning
As the city sleeps, a small army of "green soldiers" hits Mumbai's streets. Wading through mounds of garbage outside apartment complexes, corporate parks, and retail outlets, the city's rag pickers — often among the poorest residents — separate out recyclable materials that would otherwise unnecessarily add to the over-burdened city landfills. The rag pickers recycle waste to sell to scrap dealers, carrying out one of the simple and doable practices in dealing with the city's alarming 9,200 metric tonnes of waste generated every day. Read more or join the discussion.
Dharavi's water shops
The daily struggle for water consumes the lives of the poor. Women wait hours in line for water that is often of questionable quality, paying exorbitant rates — often much higher than richer urban dwellers. Contaminated water steals the lives of millions of children each year. Husbands miss valuable work days, and leftover savings is often spent on medical bills from waterborne illnesses. Read more or join the discussion.
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Promoting food security among Dhaka's urban poor
Despite benefitting from an impressive increasing in its domestic food grain production, Bangladesh has yet to achieve comprehensive food security. One out of every four households in Bangladesh suffers from food insecurity, so the poorest struggle to find enough safe and healthy food to sustain themselves. Increases in domestic food production, food imports, and the management of food all contribute to the availability of food at the national level. However, the availability of food does not eliminate all food insecurity: the purchasing power of the poor and the high price of food also limit access to food. Read more or join the discussion.
দরিদ্র ঢাকা নগরবাসীদের মধ্যে খাদ্য নিরাপত্তার অগ্রগতি
যদিও বাংলাদেশ গৃহস্থালি খাদ্য উৎপাদনে অসাধারণ লক্ষ্যমাত্রা অর্জন করছে, দেশটি দরিদ্র ও দুর্বল জনগষ্ঠির খাদ্য নিরাপত্তা নিশ্চিত করার যুগান্তকারী পদক্ষেপ নিতে সক্ষম হয়নি। বাংলাদেশে প্রতি চার গৃহের একটি খাদ্য অনিরাপত্তায় ভুগছে, বিশেষ করে শহুরেবাসীদের মধ্যে বস্তিবাসীদের খাদ্য নিরাপত্তা ও সুস্বাস্থ্য বজায় রাখা কঠিন হয়ে পড়ছে। বাংলাদেশি ১৭০ মিলিয়ন জনগণের কমপক্ষে শতকরা ৫ ভাগ বস্তিবাসীরা এই খাদ্য অনিরাপত্তার স্বীকার। জাতীয় পর্যায়ে বর্ধিত গৃহস্থালি খাদ্য উৎপাদন, খাদ্য আমদানিকরন, এবং খাদ্য ব্যবস্থাপনার যথেষ্ট পর্যাপ্তটা রয়েছে। যাইহোক, শুধুমাত্র খাদ্যের পর্যাপ্তটা সর্বদা খাদ্যের অনিরাপত্তার সমস্যার সমাধান দিতে পারেনা। এক্ষেত্রে স্থানীয় লোকদের ক্রয়ক্ষমতা ও খাদ্যের মূল্য অনেক বেশি তাৎপর্যপূর্ণ। খাদ্যের চড়ামূল্য ও নিম্ন ক্রয়ক্ষমতার কারণে প্রায়ই দরিদ্র লোকজন খাদ্যের অধিকার থেকে বঞ্ছিত হচ্ছে। ঢাকার বস্তীবাসীদের উপর করা একটি পরিসংখানে বলা হয়েছে, যদিও বস্তীবাসীরা খাদ্য অভ্যাসে সচেতন, স্বাস্থ্যকর খাবার ব্যয়বহুল হওয়ার কারণে তারা এসমস্ত খাবারগুলো ক্রয় করতে সক্ষম হচ্ছে না। স্বাস্থ্যকর খাবারগুলোর মূল্য সাধারণত বাজার খাদ্য মূল্যের উপর নির্ভর করে; যাইহোক, দরিদ্র মানুষদের ক্রয় করার ক্ষমতা বিবেচনা না করেই বাজারে খাবারগুলোর মূল্য হ্রাসবৃদ্ধি হতে থাকে। Read more or join the discussion.
Grameen Bank, a bank for the poor
Grameen Bank is one of the most successful experiments in extending credit to Bangladesh's poor. Many have used microfinance to pull themselves out of poverty. The beginnings of Grameen Bank can be traced back to 1976, when Professor Muhammad Yunus, the head of the Rural Economics Program at the University of Chittagong, launched a research project to examine the possibility of designing a credit delivery system to provide banking services for the rural poor. This research project grew, and as of 2011, Grameen Bank's 23,144 employees serve 8.349 million borrowers (97 percent of which are women) in 81,379 villages, covering more than 97 percent of the total villages in Bangladesh. Read more or join the discussion.
Improving the environmental condition and connectivity of the Hatir Jheel canal area
IIn Dhaka, the poor mostly live near river banks, where they face the constant risk of floods and landslides. Because of the high cost of land, the urban poor can only afford to live near drainage congestions or on the edges of deep narrow valleys, areas which are prone to flooding because of the heavy rainfall, exacerbated by rapid climate change in the last few decades. In response to these difficult living conditions, and some of Dhaka's environmental and connectivity issues, the Capital Development Authority of the Government of Bangladesh, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) has planned a prodigious environmental sustainability project called Hatir Jheel. Read more or join the discussion.
নগর পরিকল্পনা
ঢাকা শহরের অধিকাংশ দরিদ্রগোষ্ঠী নদীর তীরে বসবাস করে, যেখানে বন্যা ও ভূমিধ্বসের সম্ভাবনা প্রচুর। জমির উচ্চ মূল্য এবং দূর্বল অর্থনৈতিক অবস্থার কারনে, শহরের অধিকাংশ দরিদ্র জনগোষ্ঠী নিষ্কাশন প্রণালীর কাছাকাছি অথবা সংকীর্ণ স্থানগুলিতেই শুধুমাত্র বসবাস করতে সমর্থ হয়। দ্রুত জলবায়ু পরিবর্তন, ভারী বৃষ্টিপাত এবং বৈশ্বিক উষ্ণায়নের কারণে এই এলাকাটি আরো বন্যা প্রবণ হয়েছে। তাই, এসব এলাকায় বসবাস তাদের দারিদ্র জীবনের উপর কঠিন প্রভাব ফেলে। তাই ঢাকা শহর পরিকল্পনা এবং উন্নয়ন সংস্থা, রাজউক (রাজধানী উন্নয়ন কর্তৃপক্ষ) “হাতির ঝিল” নামক একটি বড় প্রকল্পের পরিকল্পনা করেছে যা শহুরে দরিদ্রদের বাসস্থান সুবিধার পাশাপাশি ঢাকা শহরের পরিবেশগত স্থায়িত্বও নিশ্চিত করবে। Read more or join the discussion.
Health services provided to women garment workers
In Bangladesh, more than a million people migrate from rural to urban areas each year. Migration in urban areas is in part influenced by 'pull' factors, like ease of access to the informal sector, the probability of a higher income, and the possibility of job opportunities in Ready Made Garment industries (RMGs). In these RMG industries, women make up almost 85 percent of the 2.4 million employees. However, almost 87 percent of female workers suffer from various health problems, like malnutrition, anemia, gynecological problems, urine infection, and other communicable diseases. Read more or join the discussion.
বাংলাদেশের গার্মেন্টস নারী শ্রমিকদের জন্য মেরী স্টপসের স্বাস্থ্যসেবা
বাংলাদেশে গড়ে ১০ লক্ষ মানুষ গ্রাম থেকে শহরে আসে, এর মধ্যে ৫০% আসে নগরী ঢাকায়। একটি পরিসংখানে দেখা গিয়েছি যে, ঢাকায় বাইরে থেকে মানুষ আসার প্রধান কারণ হচ্ছে বেসরকারি কর্মসংস্থানের (যেমনঃ গার্মেন্টস ফ্যাক্টরি) সুব্যবস্থা এবং তুলনামূলক বেশী উপার্জনের সম্ভাবনা। আনুমানিক ১,১০০ গার্মেন্টস ফ্যাক্টরি ৪০০,০০০ অভিজ্ঞ-অনভিজ্ঞ শ্রমিকদের চাকরি দিয়ে থাকে এবং গ্রাম থেকে আসা শতকরা ৮ ভাগ মানুষই গার্মেন্টস ফ্যাক্টরিতে চাকরি পাওয়ার আশায় শহরে আসে। গার্মেন্টস শ্রমিকদের শতকরা ৮৫ ভাগ কাজ করে গ্রাম থেকে আসা মহিলারা। লক্ষ্য করা গিয়েছে যে, এসকল মহিলা শ্রমিকদের শতকরা ৮৭ জনই বিভিন্ন অসুখে ভুগছে; উদাহরণ সরূপ, পুষ্টিহীনতা, অ্যানিমিয়া, গাইনকলজিকাল (gynocological) সমস্যা, প্রসাবে সমস্যা এবং অন্যান্য ছোঁয়াচে রোগ। গার্মেন্টস ফ্যাক্টরির মহিলা কর্মীরা সমাজ ব্যবস্থায় নিম্নস্তরে অবস্থান করে, যেখানে তারা খুব সীমিত আয়ে সুবিধাবঞ্চিত জীবনযাপন করে।
A Manifesto for the Extreme Poor
There are 25 million extreme poor in Bangladesh, a significant proportion of whom live in Dhaka city. However, there has been no comprehensive study of their individual needs. The narrative of the poor is often stereotyped and misrepresented; it is therefore vital that the voice of the poor be heard. The buzzword in poverty eradication must change from "intervention" to "cooperation." Read more or join the discussion.
চরম দরিদ্রের জন্য একটি ঘোষণা
একটি বিদ্রূপাত্মক কিন্তু বিনোদনমূলক ভিডিও থেকে বুঝা যায় কিভাবে একজন আন্তর্জাতিক সাহায্য কর্মী এবং একটি আফ্রিকান গ্রামবাসীর কাছে দরিদ্রের সংজ্ঞা ভিন্ন হতে পারে। যদিও এই ভিডিওটি কিছুটা গতানুগতিক এবং ক্ষতিকারক, এটি পরিষ্কারভাবে দেখায় যে কখনও কখনও ঘটনা এবং পরিসংখ্যান ভুলে, দারিদ্র্য দূরীকরণ এবং উন্নয়ন আসল লক্ষ্য স্মরণ করা প্রয়োজন। বাংলাদেশে ২৫ লক্ষ চরম দরিদ্র আছে, যার একটি গুরুত্বপূর্ণ অংশ ঢাকা শহরে বাস করে। কিন্তু, তাদের স্বতন্ত্র চাহিদা সংক্রান্ত কোন ব্যপক গবেষণা এখনো হয় নি। দরিদ্র আখ্যান প্রায়ই গতানুগতিক ও ভুল ভাবে উপস্থাপিত এবং তাই, দারিদ্র দূরীকরণে দরিদ্রদের নিজস্ব গল্প শোনা অত্যন্ত গুরুত্বপূর্ণ। আর তাই, দারিদ্র্য দূরীকরণের জন্য চিন্তাধারা "হস্তক্ষেপ" থেকে "সহযোগিতা"য় পরিবর্তন করতে হবে।
How cell phones save babies
Asha Rani, a 24-year-old mother of two living in the Vashantek slum, says that she used to have no idea about how to raise a healthy child. She did not know about immunization schedules, nutritional recomendations, or common pediatric illnesses that can be handled at home. This was her level of knowledge about health care before she came across the Aponjon service ("the close or dear one" in Bangla), a mobile health service in Bangladesh. Read more or join the discussion.
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Rencana Aksi Nasional Jajanan Sehat Anak Sekolah
Tidak seperti di negara-negara maju, anak sekolah di Indonesia umumnya tidak mendapatkan makan siang disekolah melainkan lebih sering membeli jajanan (street snack). Padahal usia anak sekolah adalah usia yang memerlukan gizi dan nutrisi yang cukup untuk tumbuh dan berkembang. Sudah menjadi rahasia umum bahwa jajanan di sekolah bukanlah makanan sehat, bahkan cenderung berbahaya bagi kesehatan, namun tetap saja jajanan ini digemari dan dibeli hampir setiap hari oleh anak-anak sekolah tersebut. Jajanan yang digemari anak-anak ini umumnya berwarna mencolok, rasanya gurih atau sangat manis dan harganya murah. Namun sayangnya para pedagang kurang memperhatikan kebersihan dan kandungan nutrisi dalam jajanan-jajanan tersebut, sehingga tidak jarang mereka menggunakan zat-zat yang berbahaya seperti pewarna pakaian, MSG dan pengawet. Read more or join the discussion.
Rumah untuk Pemukim Liar
Banjir adalah peristiwa rutin setiap tahun bagi warga Jakarta., tidak peduli bagi yang kaya atau yang miskin. Bedanya, warga Jakarta sekarang memiliki gubernur dan wakil gubernur yang memiliki komitmen untuk memecahkan masalah banjir. Banjir sendiri merupakan masalah yang harus dipecahkan, selain itu pemerintah kota juga harus memecahkan dampak banjir itu. Salah satu masalah yang merupakan dampak banjir adalah penyediaan perumahan untuk penduduk yang tinggal secara liar di areal waduk yang berfungsi sebagai penampung air di musim hujan. Selama bulan Januari-Februari tahun ini banjir besar melanda pemukiman liar di berbagai tempat di Jakarta, termasuk di areal waduk Pluit di Jakarta Utara. Read more.
A home for the squatters
Flooding is a yearly event for all Jakartans, whether rich or poor. However, Jakarta now has a governor and a vice governor that are committed to solving the problems of flooding. The flooding in itself has yet to be solved, but many other problems caused by flooding have been taken on. One issue is providing homes for the poor who currently live in the dam area, which is supposed to be a reservoir during the rainy season. In January-February of this year, a big flood occurred, affecting the squatter communities in many areas of Jakarta, including on the Pluit dam land in North Jakarta. Read more.
Mengawal aspirasi masyarakat dalam proses perencanaan pembangunan
Perencanaan pembangunan yang ideal adalah perencanaan yang melibatkan masyarakat dalam prosesnya atau kerap kita kenal dengan sebutan perencanaan partisipatif. Bangsa Indonesia telah menggunakan prinsip tersebut dan melegalkan system perencanaan partisipatif dalam sebuah undang-undang yaitu Undang-undang Nomor 25 Tahun 2004 tentang Sistem Perencanaan Pembangunan Nasional yang menyebutkan bahwa setiap proses perencanaan pembangunan dari tingkat desa/kelurahan hingga nasional harus melibatkan partisipasi sebanyak-banyaknya dari masyarakat dalam sebuah forum pertemuan yang disebut Musyawarah Rencana Pembangunan (Musrenbang). Musrenbang merupakan ajang menjaring aspirasi masyarakat melalui pendekatan 'bottom-up'. Meski demikian, hingga kini keluhan masyarakat tentang belum tertampungnya aspirasi mereka masih terdengar dimana-mana. Read more or join the discussion.
Jakarta juga milik Pedagang Kaki Lima
Jakarta, seperti kota-kota besar lainnya di Indonesia, dalam perkembangannya mengalami masalah dengan kondisi dualistik. Selain berdiri bangunan-bangunan megah dan moderen, juga berkembang pesat kegiatan Pedagang Kaki Lima (PKL) yang beragam jenisnya. Jakarta, dengan tingginya konsumsi masyarakat urban, menjadi magnet bagi PKL untuk mengadu nasib. Read more or join the discussion.
Bekerja bersama membenahi kampung kumuh Jakarta
Rendy A. Diningrat
Menjamurnya permukiman kumuh merupakan salah satu permasalahan serius yang masih melanda ibu kota Jakarta. Tahun 2011 lalu, setidaknya tercatat 416 RW kumuh yang menjadi tempat tinggal lebih dari 3 juta penduduk ibu kota. Mereka yang hidup di kawasan kumuh menghadapi masalah-masalah pembangunan fisik seperti ketidaklayakan sanitasi, infrastruktur jalan, rumah, dan sarana sosial. Kondisi yang serba minim membuat mereka kesulitan untuk meningkatkan kualitas hidupnya kecuali menunggu bantuan pemerintah.
Rusunawa untuk masyarakat menengah kebawah
Jakarta, sebagai ibukota dan pusat perekonomian di Indonesia, menjadi magnet yang sangat kuat bagi datangnya penduduk dari luar provinsi untuk berpindah ke Jakarta demi mendapatkan kehidupan yang lebih baik. Jumlah pendatang setiap tahunnya mencapai 47ribu orang dan biasanya arus urbanisasi tersebut terjadi setelah hari raya idul fitri. Jumlah pendatang yang tinggi ini tentunya menambah permasalahan perkotaan di Jakarta, antara lain tingginya kepadatan penduduk, munculnya pemukiman liar dan masalah kemacetan. Untuk mengurai masalah-masalah tersebut Pemerintah Provinsi DKI Jakarta akan mulai membangun rumah susun sewa (rusunawa) murah untuk kelas menengah ke bawah.
Tanah Merah: The refusal of citizenship for the urban poor
The idea of citizenship is distant for most Indonesians, and even more so for the poor. The ordeal of more than 27 thousand people being denied their Jakarta ID cards for many years epitomizes the way in which the state deals with the issue of citizenship. The following is the story of the people in Tanah Merah, but represents most Indonesians' struggle with citizenship. Read more.
Tanah Merah: Tertolaknya kewarganegaraan penduduk miskin kota
Tanah Merah adalah sebuah bentuk pertumbuhan komunitas miskin yang tipikal di Jakarta pada masa Orde Baru dimana manajemen penataan ruang kota umumnya buruk dan tidak berfungsi. Pemukiman liar yang pada awalnya hanya dianggap sebagai bersifat sementara ternyata berkembang menjadi pemukiman permanen karena penduduknya mulai membangun rumah-rumah mereka dengan material yang tahan lama. Pemerintah kota jelas ikut bertangung jawab karena mereka juga yang diam-diam memberikan ijin tidak tertulis, dengan bayaran yang tidak resmi, dan membiarkan warga memperoleh berbagai pelayanan public seperti listrik dan lain-lain. Setelah lebih dari dua dekade Tanah Merah tumbuh dan berkembang menjadi sebuah komunitas yang mapan meskipun sebagian besar warganya tetap ditolak haknya untuk mendapatkan KTP Jakarta. Read more.
Manusia Gerobak dan solusi masalah sampah Jakarta
Tigor adalah satu dari ribuan Manusia Gerobak di Jakarta, jumlah ini berlipat jelang bulan puasa. Kadang mereka membawa istri dan anak-anak. Sebagian menetap, sebagian hanya tinggal sementara. Mantan supir angkot trayek Stasiun Belawan-Sambo itu, kini hidup di Jakarta sejak lima tahun lalu. Kecelakaan yang menimpanya, menyebabkan Ia tak lagi bisa mengendarai angkot. Ia memutuskan merantau ke Jakarta, menjadi Manusia Gerobak.