Much of my work here in Mumbai was to be based in research side, studying the topic of neonatal and maternal health.I anticipated long hours in the library at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences looking at studies and data.Still after a week or two of it I started feeling as though a work placement to on the work done in this field was necessary, to put a human face on the data.Though, on any given day in Mumbai, unless you reside in a far removed gated community, you will see the faces of urban poverty.There is no heterogeneity to poverty; much like Indian society is remarkably diverse, as are its slum communities.

I spend a large part of my day careening through the crowded streets in an open sided auto.This has given me plenty of insight into the lives of the people who live in the crowded shantytowns that spring up everywhere.I have seen moments of joy and enjoyment, children playing in groups on the side of the road.And I have seen things that I fear will never leave me… beggars so horribly disfigured that you cannot believe they are on the streets and not in a trauma ward, people living in unimaginable conditions.As someone who has travelled to India many times, the poverty I have seen during this visit has still been troubling.The sheer number of people in Mumbai who reside in makeshift houses is staggering - over half of the overall population.

While I think it would be too quixotic to think that change can occur from the short term project like the one I am on, the opportunity to work an NGO that deals with the issues of urban poverty was too good to pass up. I have had the good fortune to be linked with an organization called SNEHA (Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action) - which deals with the issues affecting the health of urban slum dwellers.The organization offers targeted interventions in the form of maternal health, neonatal health, and food awareness programs, among others.They also offer counseling services, domestic violence programs and have a crèche.While I was initially offered just a one week placement, I finagled my way into something more long term.

The organization is run by a diverse team that includes community members, health workers, academics, doctors - all of whom are extremely committed to the goal of improving health and access for urban slum residents.The projects I am currently involved in include research for a streamlined approach to the delivery of services, and another on maternal and newborn mortality.My normal schedule is literature reviews on community health, and reading verbal autopsies and categorizing the reasons for delays in accessing critical health services.We work in teams and have meetings to compare the results of our work to ensure consistency in evaluation.The work is challenging, but fascinating.

I still spend long hours in the library working, but I feel like there is some purpose behind the work and it keeps me motivated.I am so grateful for the opportunity to be involved with this organization, and to potentially have some minute part of the projects which I see are improving the lives of the people who exist in the beautiful decay that is Mumbai.

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For more info on SNEHA - please visit www.snehamumbai.org