This photo essay, by Gauri Gupta, 17, of Jaipur, India, is the winner of The Learning Network’s second annual “Where We Are” Photo Essay Contest, which invited teenagers to document an interesting local community.
You can also see the work of our runners-up here and a list of all the finalists here.
Dharavi, Mumbai. One of Asia’s largest slums, situated in the city of dreams. It is home to one million people, each with the dream of being one in a million — to “make it.” Carts and leather shops mark their territory in the narrow labyrinthine lanes; barefooted children and stray dogs dart between vendors and commuters. Life is relentless here. Even as sun, rain and oxygen struggle to permeate the tarpaulin roofs, the streets of Dharavi thrive, self-sufficient.
Walking down one of these streets, 53-Ganesh-Temple-Road, you’ll find a particular area where the air shifts between spicy biryani and acrid refuse, where the peeling walls give way to colorful graffiti. A small building reads, “The Dharavi Dream Project.” It is there that you hear the music.
The organization, also known as T.D.D.P., is a sanctuary for Dharavi’s young dreamers. It consists of three rooms and symbolizes three words — “freedom,” “hustle” and “creation” — also painted in neon across the walls. On one of the desks leans a boy called Sultan, his white T-shirt emblazoned with the words “I am free; free is my art” in Hindi.
Sultan is one of the 300-plus “students” of T.D.D.P., an initiative started by Samir Bangara and Dolly Rateshwar in 2013. It aims to “create alternate learning communities” for artistically inclined kids who might be unable to hone their talents due to poverty and prejudice. What began as a school for hip-hop goes beyond beatbox and gully-rap: From martial arts and piano classes to vision-building and voice projection workshops, T.D.D.P. is a refuge that lets art breathe and blossom.
“This is a battleground of hope in a community often stigmatized by crime and lack of education,” said Ms. Rateshwar. “T.D.D.P. hopes to be a space where children of all ages and backgrounds can use their talents to sustain themselves and build a new reality to match their dreams.”
For 16-year-old Bhim, hip-hop is not an escape but a declaration. “I’m not from a big house, but my rhyme game is big. In our songs, we’re bigger than Dharavi,” he said.
Ms. Rateshwar added, “We encourage children to rebel against labels of society.”
Bhim’s parents were initially worried, recalling stories of youth lost to addiction. But Bhim’s growing confidence in his art convinced them. “He’s not just writing songs,” his father said with pride, “he’s rewriting our story.”
A boy defied gravity and societal expectations as he danced on his head in a B-boying circle.
“When I’m dancing, I feel unstoppable,” he said, dripping with sweat.
His younger sibling watched in awe, seeing a future where dreams aren’t limited by the walls of their one-room home.
Suhani, center, crafted a song on a keyboard with younger students. She performed her first rap last year.
“I wanted to rap about standing up to patriarchy,” she said, her voice steady. “T.D.D.P. is not my school and not my home. It’s like a third space where I can use my voice without judgment for causes that matter to me. I’m not bound by history here. I’m building the future.”
Ms. Rateshwar sat surrounded by parents. “I wanted to reframe Dharavi’s narrative from one of lack to one with endless possibilities,” she said. A mother interrupted, “My daughter wanted to quit school, but now she raps about finishing it.”
“Convincing them isn’t easy,” Ms. Rateshwar admitted later. “But when parents see their children thrive, they become our biggest allies.” Ms. Rateshwar also works to connect parents with behavioral counselors so children can work through learning disabilities in new ways.
DJ Athans joked with a group of students after an intense workshop. Twelve-year-old B-boy Sarfaraz clung to him like a shadow: “Athans-bhai taught me rhythm.” Athans smiled: “And Sarfaraz taught me patience.”
Working with industry experts like Athans and MC Heam, students are exposed to the realities of the profession. With the support of international artists like AR Rahman and Raja Kumari, T.D.D.P. students learn that success doesn’t have to be just a pipe dream.
Samiksh grinned, holding up a T-shirt he made in graffiti class. He’s only 11, but already a budding entrepreneur and artist.
“Of course it helps me explore my artistic side,” he said. “But I want to make money with my spray paint. Imagine! People will buy my clothes and wear them to concerts!”
Community-living in Dharavi is the norm. T.D.D.P. lets it enter the classroom. On performance night, students share their lived experiences in the form of music.
Zene Gandhi, a law student and mentor, raised the energy: “This is our revolution!” Cheers erupted as Bhim, Sultan and Ritika took the stage. The room seemed to swell, amplified with voices.
“They gain strength from each other,” said Ms. Rateshwar, watching from the sidelines. “We as a community are invincible.”
