Don't donate, Invest: Odisha man starts corporation to turn beggars into entrepreneurs

The practice of giving back or donating to a good cause is widely considered a way to better lives. A lot of people give alms to beggars in a bid to make their life easy on financial terms. However, a social worker is now attempting to change the concept of donation into investment by inviting people to invest in beggars and uplift their condition life. 

Chandra Mishra, who hails from Odisha, has started a 'Beggar Corporation' with the tagline 'Don't Donate, Invest.' In the process of transforming lives, he onboards beggars from different locations and invites people to invest in those beggars with a guaranteed 16.5 per cent return on investment (ROI). To this date, he has uplifted the lives of 14 beggar families. 

How did Beggar Corporation start? 

According to Chandra, the idea of transforming the lives of beggars hit him for the first time when he was in Gujarat. He spotted several people begging in front of a temple. There only, Chandra decided to change their lives by empowering them through special initiatives. After working across the country, he reached Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on December 31, 2020. 

In Varanasi, he looked out for several ways through which he can employ beggars. In his journey for a good cause, he contacted an NGO in Varanasi and informed them about his motive for work. People in NGO were already aware of Chandra's work and agreed to assist him in uplifting beggars. 

Later, he tried convincing several beggars to work along with him and earn a considerable amount of money to live a life of dignity and respect. However, he failed to convince even a single beggar to join his camp. When the COVID-19 pandemic came to life and forced the country to undergo lockdown, many beggars approached Chandra for help. Subsequently, the 'Beggars Corporation' was founded in August 2021. 

Chandra's first participant was a woman who approached him and was abandoned by her husband. He helped her get the required skill training in making bags and offered her a job. Watching her finding a sustainable life through Chandra, several other beggars took part in his unique campaign. Currently, more than 10 beggars make bags and others sell worship items. 

He continues to encourage people to invest in beggars and help change their lives. According to Chandra, the first part of the investment goes into empowering a beggar with the required skill sets and the second part of the invested amount is used for setting up a business for the beggar.