Slums are ubiquitous in the Indian subcontinent and are a bleak and depressing sight – full of clogged drains, heaps of garbage, and cramped houses. The inhabitants of slums are impoverished daily wage workers who have to endure a lot of hardship to cover the very basic necessities. They also have to endure ridicule and prejudices from a lot of people as well. Mumbai-based artist Rouble Nagi intends to change all of this by completely changing how slums look in India.
She has started the initiative Misaal India, which aims to beautify slums and bring a splash of color into the lives of the less fortunate. Rouble has always wanted to give back to her community through art. She established an NGO that helps her conduct art workshops for less fortunate children and also promotes young talented artists in the country.
In 2012, she started Project Dharavi, where she and her team painted over 42000 houses all over Mumbai. This project evolved and grew into the amazing Misaal India project.
Not only does this project aim to improve the appearance of these slum dwellings, but it also repairs the roofs and waterproofs them so they do not suffer water damage during Mumbai’s nasty monsoons.
Rouble Nagi and her team have introduced a splash of color and hope into the lives of countless inhabitants of Mumbai’s slums. The most important objective of Misaal India is to change the mindset of people, and Rouble and her team have challenged the prejudices and stereotypes head-on.
The slum dwellings of Mumbai are slowly taking on color and are no longer the drab, bleak, hapless places they were before. This is the kind of project that needs to spread pan-India and bring a splash of much-needed color and hope into the everyday lives of the less fortunate.
We invited Rouble Nagi, for an interview with Most Popular Stories to know more about her entrepreneurial journey.
- Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey as an entrepreneur?
I started my work as an artist almost 20 years ago, and it has been a relentless pursuit of transforming dreams into reality. As most entrepreneurs will tell you that the work is fulfilling and satisfying because you’re doing something for yourself.
This is true but not for an artist who wanted to create an impact and an awakening in the society through his work. And so my journey was about my work is a catalyst for social change. My endeavor was to use my talent as an artist to identify failures that are holding humanity back and tailoring and implementing solutions for the betterment of society through art.
This journey of almost two decades has taken me through a long and winding road through failure to where I am today. The journey for any entrepreneur never ends, its life long.
- Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a job?
In my profession, I don’t think any artist would choose a job over entrepreneurship. Art is about creativity and expressing yourself, the greatest gift we artists possess is the storytelling ability which expands to reflect the full spectrum of life.
- How your company is helping India to grow?
My Social initiative MisaalIndia is India’s first slum transformation program recognized by the Government. Today we are working in over 63 slums spread over 12 states.
We address issues like sanitation and Hygiene, education, women and youth empowerment and employment. The growth of any nation is dependent on its youth, we have successfully set up vocational training centers at all the slums we are working in.
- What advice would you give to someone starting out as an aspiring entrepreneur?
As an Artist I can say that the most important qualities you must have or work on are Persistence, Patience, and Passion, this will add up to success.
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