Doctor's greeting card sale initiative turns... fortunes of 25 beggars in city

A DIWALI MIRACLE

Given to him by chance, the cards were distributed by Dr Sonawane of Soham Trust to poverty-struck individuals to sell; heartened by steady, honest income, many are now seeking other such work

In a year that has been difficult for many amidst an unprecedented health crisis, the festival of Diwali still managed to light up the lives of a handful of the most disenfranchised lot in the city.

For 25 beggars, not only did an initiative by a city doctor come as a godsend to earn a little more than usual, but also spurred many of them to adopt a lifestyle in future wherein they will do all it takes to get a job and overcome their disheartening circumstances.

The flash of hope came about for the poverty-struck folks via a small initiative by Dr Abhijeet Sonawane, who runs Soham Trust, under which he and his wife give free medical treatment to homeless people.

After the medical professional was handed 2,500 carefully crafted greeting cards by chance, inspiration struck him to distribute these among beggars, so that they could in turn sell them to willing customers.

For 10 days before the festival of lights, these cards were vended by the chosen group for attractive rates at various corners of the old city, giving them a humble yet stable source of income. Many expressed that an epiphany came to them thereafter to start searching for more constant work.

For instance, Nana Medhe, a 48-year-old resident of Siddhatek in Karjat taluka, had come to Pune just before the COVID-19 pandemic struck earlier this year for some medical treatment.

With injuries on his leg and back, he can still barely walk. While he had been hoping that treatment here would prove to be of some help, the announcement of the lockdown worsened his situation much further. With no option left in hand, Medhe took to begging. “I could not work due to my ailments. So, I started sitting outside the Shani temple near Shaniwarwada and begged for alms. People would donate Rs 5-10 at a time and perhaps some food. I could barely survive. It was during my time on the streets that I had met Dr Sonawane, who had started treating me for my injuries.”

Medhe had lost all hope that he would recover and work again, and had accepted begging as his fate. But, when Sonawane offered him the greeting cards to sell, he was happy to take on the opportunity. As Unlock proceeds in the city full-fledged, he now sits on the pavement outside Shaniwarwada and sets up his stall of greeting cards every morning. Medhe shared, "I realised that I could sit at one place and do work - selling these greeting cards. Through this, I make Rs 150-200 each day. It has given me regular income and made me realise that I could do something like this instead of begging."

While Medhe's life has perhaps changed radically, for Sonawane, the move was quite unplanned. The doctor had come upon this large stack of greeting cards from the Satara-based wife of artist Prakash Devkule, who had pioneered content writing for greeting cards in Marathi; the couple also used to sell them years ago. However, after the artist's demise in 2018, thousands of cards had been lying at their home, carefully preserved. This was when Sudha Devkule decided to put them to better use. "I was pleasantly surprised when I got to know that they've been used in this manner and I am happy to know that he is getting good response from this initiative," Sudha told Mirror.

While she had requested Sonawane to distribute them among his well-wishers, an idea crossed Sonawane's mind instead - that these may be a viable income source for those who need it. The Soham Trust founder narrated, "When I thought of people close to me to share the cards with, the persons we work with, who have difficult lives on the streets, came to my mind. Then I realised - what would they do with these cards? That's when I thought of asking them to sell them and help themselves. The cards are in beautiful condition and each is worth at least Rs 100-150, and could be sold at a discount, too. Bunches of 100 cards each were distributed among 25 people, and they were given 10 days to sell the lot. The response has been very heartening."

Sonawane added, "Now, at least eight of them from the group have expressed willingness to continue doing work of this sort. They have enquired as to whether they can get such similar material to be sold on the streets and at signals. Some asked if they can get any other job anywhere."

One such beneficiary, 49-year-old Sunil Magar, was begging in the Peth areas, shared, "I used to work as a cook, but lost my job in the lockdown. When the doctor offered us these cards, I wanted to give an honest living a try. Now, I just do not want to go back to begging. I want to work and earn money again." Similarly, 55-year-old Hamid Tamboli, who has been unemployed and begging for the last 10 years, stated that he also wishes to continue doing a similar business. "I used to work as a cook but sustained injuries to my leg, due to which I quit work. Begging was my only resort for a decade, with meagre earnings. These greeting cards have come into my life and helped me garner some Rs 300 a day. I can do this. I have started making inquiries on whether I can source headphones to sell."