A helping hand to the needy
If kindness is contagious, Prafull Billore has set a ball rolling with his thoughtful gesture
Kindness never goes out of style and certainly not unnoticed — more so, during the times of Coronavirus and the ensuing isolation for many.
A recent LinkedIn post by 24-year-old Prafull Billore, founder and CEO of ‘MBA Chai Wala’, garnered mammoth attention online for its altruistic intent — a request to offer financial aid to those grappling under the catastrophic economic effects of the pandemic under the condition of anonymity. Prafull’s post urged people finding it hard to make ends meet to get in touch with him via a private message, assuring them complete confidentiality in the matter.
Prafull had seen adversity as an opportunity for him to make a difference in the world. And just as his thoughtful post went viral on social media for all the right reasons, Deccan Chronicle chatted up with the young entrepreneur to understand what motivated his actions and how he hopes to sustain them.
REACHING OUT TO HELP
When approached, Prafull takes us through a recent incident that egged him on to carry on with similar pursuits. “The art of giving is no longer merely philanthropic. It’s the need of the hour, given the number of people who have lost their jobs or are in acute financial crises due to the pandemic,” says the MBA dropout entrepreneur, who set up a tea stall in Ahmedabad in 2017 as a tribute of sorts to his having sustained solely on a cup of chai.
Talking to us about the response his initiative has been getting, he says, “The response has so been astoundingly large. In fact, so many financial issues are closeted because there’s a stigma involved in reaching out for help. Hence, anonymity helps to a great deal.”
He then tells us of a 12th standard girl from UP who had recently gotten in touch with his organisation about how the financial crisis at her home was leading to a lot of other issues, compounding her fears of not knowing who’d pay the fees for her school. “The message that I’d like to spread here is that it’s often such reluctance towards taking the first step, which prevents people from finding a solution. Whether you’re in trouble or know someone who is, the key is to reach out,” articulates Prafull.
MAKING A HABIT OF EMPATHY Incidentally, Prafull’s café franchise chain was previously in the news for offering free chai to singles on Valentine’s Day. The venture, interestingly, runs along the lines of networking. “Whether it’s offering moral support or financial aid, the focus has always been to offer genuine solutions without necessarily probing into details. It’s always good to extend a helping hand without expecting much. Kindness is contagious,” states Prafull with a smile. The precarious job market in India is a wake-up call, opines Prafull.
“It’s important for people to be selfsufficient. The large-scale layoffs and job uncertainty is proof that it’s important to give side hustles a lot of importance and to set something on your own. “It’s important for young people to explore avenues, muster up the courage to kick that dead-end job and become self-reliant so that it will help them generate steady sources of income — that’s a lesson we all must learn,” says Prafull. Clearly, here’s a young change-maker with an innate flair for social causes and politics just as much as he craves a piping hot cuppa.
The art of giving is no longer merely philanthropic. It’s the need of the hour, given the number of people who have lost their jobs or are in acute financial crises due to the pandemic” “The message that I’d like to spread here is that it’s often reluctance towards taking the first step, which prevents people from finding a solution. Whether you’re in trouble or know someone who is, the key is to reach out”