Banaras: Chandra Mishra is working with a mission in Banaras to transform the lives of beggars. In his campaign, he provides education and training to beggars on how to make a decent livelihood. He runs an organization called Beggar’s Corporation, which is dedicated to helping poor people become self-reliant. 

Who is Chandra Mishra?

Chandra Mishra is a resident of Odisha. He used to work as a journalist in Delhi. Following his father’s demise, he returned to his hometown. He established the Common Man Trust and initiated a citizen journalism-based newspaper under the trust by 1995. Later, Chandra Mishra founded the Beggars Corporation, with an objective of uplifting the poor. 

In December 2020, when Chandra Mishra witnessed a huge number of poor people begging on the ghats and temples, he decided to make a change. He reached out to the local NGO, Jan Mitra Nyas, expressing his interest in launching an initiative. When he could see little improvements in the lives of the poor people, he expanded his work to other areas as well. Along with his partners, Devendra Thapa and Badrinath Mishra founded Beggars Corporation in 2022. 

An instance that changed life

Chandra Mishra shares a story that led to the foundation of the Beggars Corporation. After a husband threw his wife out of the house, she found herself begging on the ghats. Upon meeting Chandra, she received training in bag-making. Once the bags were ready, they were put on display at an event, where the woman received positive feedback. Today, the same woman is self-reliant and an entrepreneur. 

Changing lives

Beggars Corporation has impacted the lives of 16 families. These families work with Chandra Mishra’s organization and work as entrepreneurs. Three of these families have set up shops to sell puja items and flowers outside temples. During the time of establishing his campaign, he had urged people to invest Rs 10,000 for his initiative. 57 generous people came out to support his campaign.

The School of Life

Chandra Mishra has also established the School of Life, focusing on children who begged on the ghats of Varanasi. The school provides free education and skill development courses to empower these children. He emphasizes his campaign’s motto ‘Don’t donate, invest,’ highlighting his commitment to make a positive impact in the society.