Beggars Corporation: transforming lives, encouraging investment instead of donations
Social worker Chandra Mishra, from Odisha, has been addressing employment issues for several years.
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New Delhi: Chandra Mishra, a social worker from Odisha, has introduced a novel idea that has transformed the lives of 14 underprivileged families - the Beggars Corporation. His slogan, "Invest, Don't Donate," urges people to refrain from giving money to beggars but to invest in them instead. Mishra managed to repay the initial investors with a 16.5 percent profit within just six months.
Amid the COVID-19 lockdown in August 2021, many impoverished individuals sought assistance from Chandra Mishra, leading to the establishment of the Beggars Corporation. Mishra trained them in skills like bag-making and provided them with employment opportunities. Gradually, the initiative gained popularity, and more beggars joined the corporation, garnering praise from prominent figures.
According to India Today, Chandra Mishra stated that they were able to return the money they borrowed to the original investors within six months, along with a 16.5% return on investment. Despite initial doubts, they were able to fulfill their promise of investment rather than seeking donations. The investors were able to make a profit from their investment, and the borrowed funds were successfully returned.
In August 2022, Chandra Mishra and his partners, Badrinath Mishra and Devendra Thapa, registered a "For Profit Company" called the Beggars Corporation. Currently, they have helped 14 beggar families become entrepreneurs. 12 of these families are involved in bag production through a collaboration with the Beggars Corporation, while the remaining two have established shops near temples where they sell religious items and flowers.
Chandra Mishra's method involves investing only Rs 1.5 lakh per beggar, with Rs 50,000 being utilized for a three-month training program to develop the necessary skills, while the remaining amount is allocated towards setting up infrastructure for the beggar's business. Alongside Beggar's corporation he has launched the School of Life, which is focused on providing education to children who beg at the Varanasi ghats.
The Beggars Corporation, founded by Chandra Mishra, has been widely acknowledged and has brought him significant recognition, including a place in the 100 Innovative Startups and the Top 16 Mindful Startups. In the beginning, 57 people invested in his campaign, and with their funding, Mishra provided skill training and set up employment opportunities for the beggars. Mishra's approach has proved to be a distinctive way of transforming the lives of beggars and has encouraged many to invest instead of giving donations.
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Pillar placed on Banda-Mahoba rail track in UP, minor held
Mahoba(UP), Sep 28: A 16-year-old boy has been apprehended for allegedly putting a fencing pillar on the Banda-Mahoba rail track, causing disruptions on Saturday, police said.
The driver of the passenger train had to apply emergency brakes to stop the train after he noticed a concrete pillar on the tracks, police said.
The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon when the driver of a passenger train informed the Railway Protection Force and police about the obstruction on the track, they said.
"Police team along with RPF reached the spot and detained a minor. The minor has confessed to placing the pillar on the track," Circle Officer (CO) of the area Deepak Dubey said.
The rail traffic on the route was cleared shortly after the pillar was removed from the track, the officer said.
A similar incident occurred earlier in the day in Ballia.
A rail engine hit a stone placed on the railway track in the Bairia area on Saturday, officials said, adding that no damage was caused.
Public Relations Officer of the North Eastern Railway Ashok Kumar told PTI that on Saturday the loco pilot applied emergency brakes after seeing the stone.
