Slumdog Millionaire

If you haven't already, it is well worth going to see Slumdog Millionaire...



This audio slideshow from the Observer, looking at Dharavi - the Mumbai slum where the film was made - makes for interesting viewing, and there are some great descriptions of Dharavi and what life is like there in this article.

International Year of Sanitation

8PBr spent some time looking at water and sanitation last week, and were shocked to discover that 1.1 billion people - about a sixth of the world's population - do not have access to clean, safe water... And that 2.6 billion people - about 40% of the world's population - do not have access to adequate sanitation.

The picture below (from Ecumenical Water Network) was taken in Kibera - a slum in Nairobi, Kenya. For those people who cannot afford to pay to use a filthy latrine, the alternative is a plastic bag, which ends up in the street. These so-called "flying toilets" contribute to the horrifying statistic that 1.8 million children die before the age of 5 - from diarrhoea.

BBC correspondent, Fergal Keane, visited Kibera yesterday, to coincide with the launch of the United Nations International Year of Sanitation. You can watch his report here.