“Begging is never a choice” – Vinod

Vinod hails from the Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh. He was orphaned at the tender age of seven. With a saddened face, Vinod narrates his experiences. “Nobody is ever fond of begging; hunger forces one to beg. Since the age of 10, footpath became my life. I worked as a laborer and did rickshaw pulling for a living. Due to the lifelong struggle, poverty, and uncertainty, I got addicted to harmful intoxicants that also left me incapable of doing productive work. In 2016, I became very sick. I had no one to support, and nor did I have money to avail myself of treatment. I was not in a condition to work and earn. Left with no alternative, I was forced to beg outside temples. After all, I had to feed myself to stay alive.”

With tears in his eyes, he further adds, “During that period I met with Sharad bhaiya who took me to the hospital for conducting tests. I was diagnosed with TB and had to take medicines daily. With no strength in my body to work, I did begging for months to keep myself alive.”

Vinod says that while begging he felt that his life was worse than a dog’s and it was better to die than lead such a life. He was getting 50-100 rupees from begging. After Badlav’s intervention, he is in a much better position now. Initially, he started driving a solar rickshaw. Now, he has set up his own chaat stall and manages to earn 500-600 rupees every day. He attributes his newly found dignity from livelihood to the Sharad and Badlav team.