Vjbreathes

Rang De (https://www.rangde.org/) is a pioneering web based social initiative that supports rural entrepreneurs with cost effective micro-credit for business and education. Through an online portal, Rang De enables individuals to become social investors by lending small sums of money to borrowers from low income households listed on the website. Launched on 26th January 2008, Rang De’s mission is to knock out poverty in India. So far, Rang De has raised social investments of Rs. 100.3 Million and impacted more than 17,000 borrowers with the help of 4,200 social investors. Many of these borrowers have been able to create or expand their business (ranging from cow-rearing to bag-making to managing tea stalls); while a few others used their loans to pay for the education of their children. To make this scheme sustainable, Rang De works hand-in-hand with local field partners (often local NGOs) who identify potential borrowers in local communities. Once the borrowers’ business plans are an...

Raghu Dixit- A musician turned magician! When my facebok page had an update about a tour called the “Freedom Bus Tour”, organized by Rang De and supported by Raghu Dixit on Aug 10, I saw an opportunity to meet my icon. I signed up for this tour without even probing the purpose. For me, it was just an intervention by God towards ensuring a fan-idol meeting. I signed up for this tour with a minimum expectation-MEET RAGHU. But then, the experience I had in this tour was mesmerizing. In fact, I gained much more than I expected. I gained knowledge of how poverty is gripping several people in India, even though a lot of us think about India as a ‘developing’ nation. I guess, several villages and towns of this great country are still “underdeveloped”. We boarded the “freedom Bus” on 13 Aug and reached Pusad   on 14 Aug. The locals welcomed us with roses and delicious ‘poha’ . “Pusad” is a small town in the Yavatmal district. I met a few rural women entrepreneurs operating in th...

1) Reduce travel on bikes and cars 2) Be the catalyst: Spread the message of car pooling at office.If possible, practise before preaching.You message will be taken seriously 3) You can even think of bike pooling.It will work, if you want it to for you. 4) Try cycling for a change, you may love it as well. And then, adapt to it. Do short distances first. 5) If you are making repeated purchases for household, and spend money travelling, decrease the frequency of purchases, stock up things, if you can afford it. 6) Mass transport is not a very bad idea. Try Volvo or metro, and check if it works. 7) Get a petro card/membership card and check if you can get some discounts or offers on petrol purchase. Try to get more miles with less  dimes. 8) If you are thinking of buying a new bike, have electric bikes, as an option. No need of liscence, pollution check etc. 9) Start waking to the ide of walking. Cover short distnces by walk. Locate laundry, grocery which are nearby. Walkin...