Most of the field visits I have taken so far in India have been spent in rural areas where almost 90 per cent of people who live below the poverty line reside. However, being confronted with urban poverty on this recent trip stopped me in my tracks.

It’s easy to assume that everyone’s okay in a big city. There’s infrastructure, there’s public transport, a seat of government, but what I saw in Delhi was often hidden. It was urban poverty, which was no less confronting and challenging than rural poverty.

You can walk down the street with cars, buses, motorbikes, paved roads and shops, then you hang a left down a narrow alleyway, which is known locally as a “colony”, where you sometimes see as many as a thousand people living in abject poverty. There’s no running water, no heating, no natural light. There can be six to eight people living in one room.

^{An alleyway in Delhi, where urban poverty is ever-present.}

The people living here are trying to eke out an existence and thanks to microfinance, they can make a living. Some of the women taking out small loans are using their funds for businesses like beauty salons, tailoring, and selling packaged lunches to local businesses. A few of the men have taken loans to purchase a rickshaw to start a transport business.

^{New loan recipient Saira meeting Scott Walters.}

What struck me most is that there is hope for all these people living in urban poverty. A lot of Delhi is prosperous, people have moved from rural areas to the city looking for work and better job opportunities. Their children are attending school and they have hope for a brighter future.

Thank you for journeying with those we serve. Your support helps to create a better life for them and their families.