A TV documentary, to be screened tomorrow evening, will report on a remarkable group of children living in an Indian slum who run their own newspaper.
The star turn is 18-year-old Vijay Kumar, chief reporter for Balaknama ("Children's voice") who has transformed himself from child delinquent into campaigning journalist.
Vijay says he wants to give power to street children in Delhi whose stories don't get told and who would not trust reporters from mainstream publications.
"A child talks to us because we've also lived this life," he tells Mary-Ann Ochota, who reports for Channel 4's Unreported World strand.*
In the documentary, "Slumkid reporters", Ochota attends Balaknama's editorial conference, which is attended by slum children from across Delhi, and notes how story ideas come straight from their personal experiences (such as police violence against them or their homes suffering from floods).
Ochato and director Suzie Samant also visit the Sunder Nagari slum to meet Balaknama's editor, Shanno. She worked in a garment factory from the age of 11 until she joined the newspaper and then worked her way up to the editor's chair.
Ochota has written at length about the experience of making the documentary in an Independent blog posting. Pointing out that 60% of India's 1.3n population are under 25, she concludes:
"When these young people do find a way to speak out about their own futures, it's a powerful force for change. Shanno and Vijay are at the head of a numerous and resilient army."
*"Slumkid reporters" will be shown tomorrow (1 November) on Channel 4 from 7.30pm
Sources: Channel 4/The Independent/Ochota's blog
