Mumbai - Day One: Dharavi slums

Banu sits opposite me cross legged on the floor of the living room of the one room dwelling. I call it a one room but it has an area used for cooking and washing and a sleeping shelf you can reach by the removable ladder. She is accompanied by a group of other Pavement dwellers, all women.

In fact most of my day is to be spent with the women of Mumbai's slums. The 'Mahila Milan' - 'Women Together' are a powerful force in these slum communities as both state and national government have come to recognise.

As Banu explains to me: "Yes Mahila Milan built the 20 seat community toilet blocks and we manage them within our own community". These blocks are clean and well managed by a caretaker elected and paid for by the slum dwellers organisation. This block replaces the Municipal block which is unusable. I know this is the case because I have just visited a block with Homeless International to see the type of results they are achieving on the ground by investing in local organisations.

I don't think many will have heard of De Bono but the thinking style is very similar. When the Municipal blocks we always filth, the smell appalling and the caretaking poorly done, the community took responsibility and designed a block with a caretakers house on the top of the block. The house goes with the job and the community selects the caretaker. The block is spotless and smells are absent. Now that is neat thinking!

These little changes are transforming the lives of thousands of slum and pavement dwellers across the world. Banu is, like the rest of "her sisterhood", illiterate, poor and living in a pavement shelter that is scheduled for demolition, but sitting here, shoeless, in this ten foot by ten foot home, I realise that it would be insulting to think of any of them as victims. They certainly don't see themselves this way, in reality they are a highly organise community of interests that have learned to use their network of connections to mobilise pavement and slum dwellers into action.

They first discovered their power when they organised passive resistance to the state when it moved to bring in demolition contractors to bulldoze slums built on illegally occupied land. Their initial forages into community politics were helped by an amazing man called Jockin Arputham, a slum dweller himself, Jockin helped organise slum dwellers into recognisable communities that could interact with government agencies.

Jockin is President of an organisation called National Slum Dwellers Organisation but in the 1980's Jocklin learnt about SPARC (Society for Promotion of Area Resource Centres) an organisation established by Professional women who believed, with help, poor women could organise themselves and play a significant role in bettering the lives for slum dwellers. It was the coming together of SPARC,s director Sheela Patel, an educated upper middle class activist and Jocklin the street wise slum leader that really started the sparks to fly.

Mahila Milan was now energised but most importantly help was at hand to show them how to develop the skills and know how to be more effective. As Banu told me we started our own savings group. Every day our street leaders would start the savings run. They visited every house in the street and collected any surplus money. Maybe one rupee maybe more whatever could be spared, it is entered in the book and micro credit was in action. Soon loans were available to help with crisis situations and later for business 'start ups'.

It is banking, but not as we know it! The real other side effect is that this united the community of women and empowered them, not only within their own society but also within their own family structure. With growing confidence they are now able to engage with government and are now consulted in proposals to remove pavement dwellings and how resettlement will take place. They are actively involved in the design of their new homes and even manage the priority selection for resettlement.

Banu explains that Jocklin is joining us in the meeting and moments later he arrives. A diminutive, quiet spoken Indian he has an aura of real presence and is so at one with his community. I know that he is doing similar work in a range of countries across the world, despite diabetes and a bypass he is a powerhouse of energy. Homeless International explain the reason for my visit, we have a short discussion, interrupted by calls to his two mobile phones, you should meet our Sec. For Housing Jocklin announces and one call later that is exactly what we are doing. Tomorrow at 12.30, he is a good man says Jocklin he is really interested in listening to us and is trying to help.

As I sit in the taxi on my way to the recourse centre, my head is in a whirl with all I have seen, and this is the tip of the iceberg. India has 100 million slums and to date Homeless International has sponsored 400 community toilet blocks. A fantastic achievement but what is needed is scale, well one step at a time.

On the Road Again to India

Well I am travelling again, I only ever seem to get the time to catch up when I am on a plane or train.

This time I am on my way to Mumbai. When Larry English the CEO of Homeless International invited me to join him on his visit to the Projects in the slums of Mumbai I was a little hesitant. I had read Slumdog millionaire and I had also seen the film. How close do I really want to get to this?

Well, I suppose the answer to that is 'as close as I need to be to make a difference', so here I am getting ready to be up close and personal to some of the success stories that Homeless International have helped create. The schedule looks pretty gruelling. Fly out on Sunday (10 January) and back on Friday evening with a full schedule in between.

I want to look at exactly what Homeless International is doing and how they are doing it. I will be talking to some of the people who are participating in the projects and most importantly, some of the people whose lives have been transformed by your support. I hope to be able to talk to street dwellers that save every rupee they can towards projects that change lives. I am also hoping to speak with one of the women's groups that seem to have developed a successful model of hosing that is now being recognised across India as a way forward.

Well that's the plan, you have read the trailer. I will keep you informed about the cast and the production crew but as always it is the strong storyline that makes the difference.

If you would like to make a donation please visit my Just Giving Site.

President Overseas - Diary Update: Final Leg

New Zealand - Well Auckland was great, I loved it! - despite the rain.

We were met at the airport by Peter Jeffries C.E.O. of an organisation called Community of Refuge Trust. I had met Peter in Australia and he kindly offered to meet us on our arrival. He then spent some time showing us Auckland the surrounding area and the housing issues they face. This proved to be an invaluable background to my conference session.

The next two days were lost in a bit of a whirl of activity, presentations, a meeting with their Housing Minister and then the conference itself. Very interesting and again it feels to me as if there are real parallels with the Northern Ireland Executive here.

New Zealand appears to be structured in a similar way and also faces issues that may sound familiar to many of us. They need to invest in the existing stock but also need to build new affordable housing at a time when Government money is tight. (With me having the speaking slot on "A global Housing Community" and a separate meeting with the Minister. Well at least we sparked some ideas!!!

And Home - Home sweet Home! The trip was an experience of a lifetime. So many places, such interesting environments, so much potential new business. But the thing that will stay with me longest is the amazing friendliness of the people I met. We were made welcome in all the places we visited, nothing seemed to be too much trouble for our hosts who in some cases gave up their own time to escort us from place to place.

To all of them - thank you.

Now it is back to work. I hope you had a great seasonal holiday break.

President Overseas - Diary Update Two

Sydney, Australia - CIH President's Blog Stardate Tuesday 1st December 2009 , midair somewhere between Sydney and Auckland New Zealand. 1st Decemeber, but for you in the UK it is only just 1st December, for me it is 8pm. I am just beginning to get this 'time thing'. After about five weeks travelling from UK to Honk Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Melbourne and Sydney, the trick is you ring hotel reception and ask the time and if it is morning or evening and you then just go with the flow!

Other than the 'time zone' thing Australia was amazing and the Australasian Institute of Housing could not have made us more welcome. I say us because there are several of us Brits over here giving papers at both the Melbourne and Sydney conferences.

The Australian Social housing sector is extremely interesting. It is very small compared to the UK market but it plays an absolutely vital role that seems in the most part to be undervalued, except by those who it helps. But there is a real feeling that change is afoot. The Commonwealth Minister for Housing appears to be setting a climate for change and there is a real energy about the place. What is almost tangible is the raw energy and vitality that comes over when you speak to the dedicated housing professionals who are doing some amazing work. There seems a close affinity with the UK but everything is on such a smaller scale. The sector has that feel about it that suggests it is on the cusp of major change and in the next few years I think it will really find its feet and develop very quickly.

Meeting colleagues here is like meeting up with old friends, even though you have only just met. The Australasian Institute of Housing is carving out a professional practitioner position for itself that parallels that of CIH in its early years, but is doing this across an extremely large geographic area. Joan Ferguson, the CEO, almost seems to have the ability to dematerialise from one venue and reappear elsewhere, possibly hundreds of Kilometres away - scary but very impressive. Come to think about it, trying to keep track of our own Chief Executive Sarah Webb can be a bit like that.

We are about 30 minutes out of Auckland and just starting our descent so I just have time to tell you about the Aboriginal Housing Project we visited about two hours before we flew. Redfern is a small area on the outskirts of Sidney's city centre. Predominantly an Aboriginal inner city suburb that suffered extreme poverty and deprivation, it was the target of drug pushers and all the violence which is associated with this. A small core of community leaders, led by Aboriginal activist, Mick Mundine (brother to Tony Mundine of rugby league and super middleweight boxing fame), drew the community together through the formation of the Aboriginal Housing Association.

They have transformed the area from a 'No go' zone into an area with support structures and Mick and his team have given the people in the area real hope for the future. They have a vision that has survived all sorts of pressure for the Aboriginal Community Association to part with its valuable land assets. But they have hung on in there and in the words of Mick 'bring it on'. Inspirational, just inspirational! I just don?t know how they will bring their dream of redevelopment together but if anybody can I am sure it will be Mick and his team.

So the wheels are down and we are coming in on a 3 degree flight path, time to switch the computer off and stow it in the overhead locker for landing.

President Overseas - Diary Update One

Uniting a Global Housing Community is one of CIH's aims. This year is no exception and for the next few weeks I'm busy representing CIH and meeting our many friends on the other side of the world. In this first diary update I give you a flavour of what I've been up to.

Hong Kong - Arrived yesterday a little world weary and jet lagged after an 11 hour flight. It was actually a pretty good flight but sleeping on a plane during the day is not my strongest attribute. I arrived the day before things kicked off here so I at least get one night to recover before we start the cycle of meetings. In fact I have a message to meet Mr Poon Yuen Fong (Sanford) Chairman of CIH Asian Pacific tonight at 7pm when I am their guest at dinner. CIH Scotland Director, Alan Ferguson, will also be joining us so we can discuss our schedule and in particular the local issues that I will need to build into my formal address at tomorrow's joint Hong Kong Institute and CIH Asian Pacific Annual Dinner. It is not too bad for me but poor Alan only lands at 5.15 pm and has to get to the hotel and out again by 7.00pm - bet he doesn't arrive until coffee!

Beijing - It has been 'full on' since we got here just over two and a half weeks ago. We have had one day off duty which we used to visit the highlights of Hong Kong and do the tourist bit. We were in Hong Kong for three days starting with my speech at CIH Asian Pacific Annual Dinner. We've visited projects, met government officials, heads of large organisations - first here in Hong Kong, before flying to Beijing and landing in a blizzard and a temperature of minus three degrees. We froze our way around Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, several Government offices, housing projects and housing organisations before visiting a blooming big wall that stretched across mountain tops as far as you could see - talk about a planned maintenance programme.

Wuhan to Macau and back again - We flew on to Shanghai, then Suzhou, followed by Wuhan University where I delivered a presentation that was translated into Mandarin to a classroom of students (who I later discovered could speak perfect English). We then returned to Hong Kong with a side visit to Macau - exhausting but would not have missed it for the world!

On to Australia - CIH Asian Pacific are so thoughtful and hospitable it makes the whole experience unforgettable. The whole thrust of their strategy is to develop and grow their business, a task I am keen to use the presidential visit to help deliver. Their position in the Asian Pacific is complex and I will be keen to continue the dialogue with them and CIH as to how their business plan will develop. Well that's it for now, next time it is G'day Melbourne!

Richard Branson - If you are reading this...

It's becoming a habit isn't it? I'm on the train again, this time on my way to London Euston to attend a round table debate on the future for housing. Thinking about it, Richard Branson, if you should stumble across this blog, how about donating my rail fares to my chosen CIH Presidential Appeal charity Homeless International and in doing so help some of the one in six of the world's population that live in slums?

I was humbled the other week to be involved in a sponsored sleep-out by a group of 16 apprentices to support my Homeless International. The sleep-out happened in the centre of Coventry on the evening of the 5 October 2009, World Habitat Day. The apprentices from Whitefriars, part of West Mercia Housing Group had researched the work of the charity and had designed and built a replica slum dwelling.

I am pleased to report that the event attracted a lot of local media interest helping to promote the charity. Homeless International's chief executive Larry English and Chairman Eric Armitage OBE also attended and supported the event, which was an added bonus. The young apprentices raised more than £1,150 for Homeless International, but perhaps more importantly it raised their own understanding of just how privileged we and they are to live lifestyles we often take for granted. And, when you think about it, this is mainly down to being born in one part of the world and not another. The only down side to this great event is that the apprentices have challenged me to follow their lead and to sleep-out in their replica slum to raise more money. Oh the resilience of youth. Of course I will keep my promise but my efforts are going to have to wait for the weather to warm up a little. Oh, and Richard you could be my first sponsor, or better still you could raise your own sponsorship and join me. Watch this space!

On a serious note though, please help me to support this very important charity and continue the impressive work done by following the example set by our inspirational apprentices. Homeless International supports partners in Africa and Asia who are working with slum communities to reduce poverty and improve living conditions. Homeless International depends on the generous support of individuals and organisations. Check out their current appeals and find out how you can get involved on their website. You can also make a donation on my Just Giving Site.

A Peak Behind the Scenes

Well, here I am again. This time you find me letting the train take the strain as I head south to a meeting with Anthony Mayer, chairman of the Tenant Services Authority. CIH chief executive Sarah Webb is joining us and I fully expect to have an interesting and informed discussion. Anthony is a great character and is always well informed and focused on the current agenda.

As housing professionals it is important that our expertise and awareness fashions the country's housing agenda. The TSA exists to champion tenants and our role is to advise and turn good practice into reality. These discussions help to keep CIH at the heart of sector decision-making, and ensures that policy and practice are shaped to give the best deal for tenants. After all, this is who we work for.

As I watch the countryside flash by, it gives me time to update you on other parts of the presidential day. As soon as I finish my meeting I have to scoot back to Euston to get the train home in time to get changed and drive out to Telford in Shropshire to present the awards and do the closing speech at the Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group's Awards Ceremony. This is one of a number of awards presentations that I've been honoured to attend since becoming President. In any profession it is easy for your job to become a 9-5 grind. In recent weeks seeing the dedication that so many people in our profession have for going the extra mile has been truly inspiring. One of the best things about being CIH President is the chance to meet some amazing people who genuinely believe that they are 'just ordinary'. For 'just ordinary' people they are doing some pretty extraordinary things! To be part of helping you tell your stories is quite a humbling experience and I'm so proud to represent you. Enough of that, I am in danger of becoming all emotional and missing my station.

So, my final destination for today's blog is the garden of a certain honourable gentleman's rented home. It is a another fine example of just how much work CIH does behind the scenes to make sure Government hears the views of our 22,000 members. And of course Government is always eager to share their message with you.
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In my next blog I'd like to pay tribute to this year's Presidential Appeal, Homeless International, but until then, I've got to make tracks?