Dharavi is one of the busiest but also most productive places we have ever been. On every street or corner, objects are being made and sold, from pottery and handmade brooms to neon lights. How do you get your head around that when you want to set up a Design Museum in such a dense place?
You need to know the right people, the movers and shakers, the 'to-go-to-guys'. And luckily we got introduced to Shyam (the guy in the grey shirt), the community leader that knows about 90% of the people in Dharavi (and only because he is not interested in knowing the other 10%). The locals know how to find him, when walking through Dharavi with Shyam you might think he is a famous star or president, cause he shakes hands with literally everyone.
Shyam has been born and raised in Dharavi and comes from an old family that masters the craft of basketry and broom making. He is a social worker, helps children studying for their exams, he is a part-time worker at URBZ and whenever you have a problem (may it be with the municipality, the local police or your wife) you go to Shyam.
Our favourite Shyam quote? "I'm like a car that is going, no one can stop me." And that is certainly relevant if you think about Mumbai's hectic traffic.
