Mumbai: In Dharavi, there lives a woman who is more than just another resident of Asia’s largest and India’s most unique slum. She wears many hats and is more than just a guide or a social worker.
Like ancient trees that refuse to wither despite the harshest storms, she stands strong, offering shade, protection, and a sense of purpose to those who have nowhere else to turn. She is Manda Bhave, fondly known as Mandatai, the mother of Dharavi’s daughters.
Born and raised in Dharavi, Mandatai has seen it happen — young girls forced to drop out of school, wives suffering in silence, mothers struggling to put food on the table. But instead of watching from the sidelines, she became their pillar of strength, standing by women who felt lost and sought her help to find their way.
Mandatai has not only raised her own two daughters, one now a government school teacher and the other a professor at a leading university, but she has also been a mother to ten other girls. She never saw a difference between them, showering them with the same love and warmth. Perhaps, in them, she found a way to give the kind of motherly love she may not have fully experienced herself.
“I never thought a girl from Dharavi could secure a job in Nagar Palika. But Manda Tai believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself. She pushed me to complete my education and fight for this opportunity. Today, I am proud of the life I’ve built,” says one of the girls she has raised.
Another young woman, now a B Tech graduate working in Satara, remembers how she nearly dropped out after 12th due to financial struggles. “Manda Tai arranged for my fees and motivated me to complete my B Tech. Today, I work with a private firm in Satara and support my family,” she shares fondly.
A girl who is presently pursuing an MD in Orthopaedics, expresses her gratitude to Mandatai, saying, “Tai not only gave me shelter but also encouraged me to study medicine. I am now pursuing my MD in Orthopaedics, all thanks to her support.”
Mandatai’s mission goes beyond just education. According to her, financial independence is the first step toward true freedom. “Every woman must work, at least, for herself,” she says. Today, she is a lifeline for the women of Dharavi’s Rajiv Gandhi Nagar. When a woman is abandoned by her husband, struggling with financial hardships, or unable to afford hospital bills for childbirth, she turns to Mandatai. There have been times when she went door-to-door collecting money to help a mother give birth in a hospital instead of at home.
Mandatai has empowered several women to become financially independent. “I used to do small tailoring work from home, but it wasn’t enough to support my family. Mandatai motivated me to start a tiffin service and even helped me find my first customers. Today, I run a full-fledged catering business and have employed two other women from Dharavi,” shares a local entrepreneur.
Another woman, now a beautician, recalls how Mandatai changed her life. “Mandatai always says, ‘Don’t sit idle, learn something new.’ She pushed me to join a beautician course when she caught me sitting at home, and now I run my own parlour in Dharavi.”
She doesn’t just speak of empowerment — she embodies it. She has created an invisible army of strong, independent women in Dharavi. She is such an inspiration today, that even young boys seek her guidance today. “I try to encourage them to stay away from addiction and crime and instead learn skills that can help them to build a future,” she says.
Dharavi is a place where struggles are many and dreams are endless. And in the middle of it, Manda Tai is like a rare gem. Her legacy lives on in every girl or woman she has empowered. She is not just a part of Dharavi, she is its soul.
