ABSTRACT
Sathyanagar, a small self-built settlement on the edge of Bangalore (India), is presented through the eyes of its children. What emerges is a place of contradictions: a place where children have lives of real hardship and exposure to environmental hazards and political injustice; and simultaneously a place where children benefit from sustaining social networks, cohesive cultural beliefs, and diverse settings for play and engagement in their community. An effort to build on these strengths through a participatory process of community development is described, along with the barriers that this initiative faced. The lessons learned can be applied by development agencies and other organizations which seek to empower marginal communities and their children.
