This Engineer Gave Up a Comfortable Career to Create Jobs for 1400+ People on the Streets

Not all heroes wear capes – some do selfless service without expecting anything in return. 

At some point or the other, most of us may have witnessed this incident – an old, impoverished person in torn, dirty clothes trudging from vehicle to vehicle pleading for some money which they count on to fill their stomach. Sometimes, we stop by to give them some money with a generous heart. Sometimes, we walk past them, with a mind ahead, paying no heed to their pleas, wondering, “Why do they beg when they are fit enough to work?” 

But when Naveen Kumar encounters a beggar on the streets, he does not wait for them to approach him. Rather, he goes to them voluntarily, not to give them money, but to give them a life with dignity. For him, begging is not a problem of the roads, but a glaring problem that faces the nation. Having set his mind on creating a beggar-free India, Naveen Kumar and his team have rehabilitated 1480 beggars successfully to date, and their efforts continue. 

But he refuses to use the term ‘beggars’. “They are also just like us – they are one among us. We must address them with more respect,” says Naveen Kumar, who calls them the ‘destitute’. Following his example, many media outlets and the government, too, have since then used the word ‘destitute people’.

Today, the Atchayam Trust for rehabilitating the destitute, started by Naveen Kumar, rebuilds their lives not just by giving them a new job but also a new style with haircuts, shaves, new clothes, and a new appearance. 

Pain of poverty and hunger 

As a 19-year-old boy, Naveen Kumar was in Salem preparing for the GATE exam. During his tea breaks, he found himself surrounded by many beggars. Naveen Kumar would give them all that he had saved for dinner and sleep with an empty stomach, but with a heart filled with happiness at having been able to help someone. 

“During that time, I had also started reading Swami Vivekananda’s books. The lines in his book deeply motivated me. ‘The future of India rests in the hands of its youth’ stayed with me always,” shares Naveen Kumar. 

However, he was aghast to find out that a young man tricked people into giving him money by weaving sympathy and used all the money to buy drugs. He was not a beggar, but had resorted to begging to buy drugs. Deeply distraught by the incident, Naveen Kumar thought, “If the foundational pillar of the nation – the youth – was shaking in uncertainty, then what would happen to the future of India?” 

At another instance, a disabled person shared with him that disability is only in the mind, not in the body. “It is because of people like you that people like me have to come to the roads with no job,” he said. These words pierced Naveen Kumar very sharply, his father being a victim of polio attack. 

Coming from a humble background, there had been days when the young boy had slept hungry. There was little family support for his education. Left to fend for himself, Naveen had to support his education by doing multiple part-time jobs – from cleaning fields to clearing cow dung. Having well known the pain of poverty and hunger, and seeing the youth going astray, Naveen desired to bring about a change.

The ‘Best Outgoing Student’ on a Mission

When Naveen Kumar shared his thoughts with others, “Mind your business, first,” people retorted rudely. None came forward to support him. However, it did not deter Naveen from persisting.

Meanwhile, Naveen Kumar’s focus on studies was not disturbed in the least, even as he set his mind on the new purpose – graduating with a Bachelor’s in Engineering, bagging the ‘Best Outgoing Student’, proving his academic excellence. 

Naveen Kumar had faced it all – from being made the object of ridicule to being called a ‘beggar’ by mean people – when he appealed for support. But his relentless efforts soon led to a team of like-minded individuals joining him. 

It was not easy for the team to approach the destitute. Many a time, abuses were hurled at them, and some even tried to attack them in defense. But rising beyond all odds, the team successfully did their first rehabilitation for an individual named Rajasekhar, who had become a slave to drug addiction after losing his family. Today, he works as a watchman with dignity and has a new purpose.

Soon enough, the team’s efforts culminated into a Beggars’ Rehabilitation Trust.  Drawing inspiration from the ‘Akshaya Patra’, which gives food endlessly, Naveen Kumar decided that his team’s service should flow endlessly and named the Trust, ‘Atchayam’. 

For four years, Naveen Kumar ran the Trust solely from his salary, with not much support for finance. Nor was it easy to juggle his professional work and Atchayam – on most days, he used to work for Atchayam after 11 pm, post-work. 

The turning point

On one fine day, much to everyone’s pleasant surprise, Naveen Kumar received a call that he would be conferred the National Youth Award by the Central Government for 2018 by Chief Minister Yogi Adithyanath.

“That was unexpected and only further strengthened my resolve. I realised that all this has been possible because of a super power and started believing strongly that this life has been earmarked for service,” he said. 

Soon after, Naveen Kumar was showered with Awards from the State Government and other platforms that took cognizance of his efforts. Presently, Atchayam stands tall with over 80 Awards.

All of this enabled Atchayam to grow into five branches, impacting 13,000 lives, with success stories of 1480 destitute people, over the past 11 years. “There has not been one Sunday that we have missed. We get around 20 calls each day and keep meeting the destitute.” 

For the people of Atchayam, the destitute on the roads are not random people – but their own family. Saranya, who works at Atchayam, shares, “It was difficult initially when I was a new volunteer, but seeing others talk to them, touch them, and transform them into a new person inspired me. The joy and happiness in their faces and their blessings urged me to work for them. Mr. Naveen is a great leader and inspires us each day.” 

Atchayam classifies the destitute into 18 types. Every person is given thorough counseling over a period of time, as per their needs. Their skills are identified and accordingly trained with the aim of making them independent.

 “They make many products like incense sticks, paper plates, clay lamps, and so on. This boosted their confidence and also made them financially independent,” states Naveen.

Rathanammal, a 92-year-old grandma who lives in the Atchayam Home, says, “Despite having sons and daughters, I was driven out of all their homes.” Due to her age and blinding eye, she could not fend for herself and decided to jump into a lake and let go of her life. Rescued by police, she was taken to Atchayam by Naveen Kumar.Today, Rathanammal has recovered from the trauma of her past and has started living her life.. “I will not go anywhere till my last breath,” she says. 

Funding remains a problem – What you can do to help

More often than not, we do not think about begging as a problem that is facing our country. Nor do we pause to think what becomes of them. But Naveen Kumar found his calling in transforming the lives of the destitute people. 

“For us, they are no different from our kin,” he says. Yet, funding has been a problem for the team. “Today, some people make donations seeing the change we are trying to make, but it has not been sustainable.” 

To tackle this problem, Atchayam developed the concept of ‘MOI 101’ – Moi is a practice of giving gift money to relatives on special occasions like weddings and other celebrations. 

As the proverb goes, small drops make an ocean. A small contribution of Rs.101 can transform somebody’s life – small steps, huge changes! “If you give us a hand, we can open life’s hands for the destitute,” says Naveen, appealing for support. Be the one to bring a change by contributing on your special days like birthdays, anniversaries, and all celebrations, bringing smiles to their face. 

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“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give”. Contribute to making a Beggar-Free India – 99439 08424   

Today, Naveen has left his job to do full-fledged service. Every rupee that comes in can aid in transforming a person’s life. As a person who believes in partaking in all good, Naveen appeals to everyone to help in creating a Beggar-Free India. Every act can contribute to making a better India.

For those who cannot support monetarily, Atchayam welcomes volunteers with open arms. Volunteers make up the foundation of this organization. After all, material joys can never be a match to the joy, selfless service can give a person, for they alone live, who live for others (Swami Vivekananda).

At the least, Naveen Kumar says, “Please do not give money to beggars. Give them food or clothes, if possible. Giving money can destroy their lives.” When given a few rupees out of sympathy, it changes into the menace of addiction. 

Not all persons on the roads are beggars – some may have lost their way. Some may have been driven out of their houses. Some are denied opportunities for being differently-abled. Some are mentally affected and, with no refuge, may have made the streets their home. It is important to harness the potential of every individual in this country. If all these people can be counselled and given an opportunity, then it can drive the nation towards prosperity. Let us support this Hero in what he is fighting to achieve!

Edited by Vidya Gowri Venkatesh

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