A Ride To #FightPoverty with Rang De

Two bikers, 300 kilometers and the message of social investment – a way we can all work together to make a difference in rural India.

ScoutMyTrip is honoured to partner with Rang De for their first ever #FightPoverty ride. Join us as Vineet and Deepak from ScoutMyTrip go on a road trip to meet a Rang De borrower and relive his story of entrepreneurship that came true for him because people decided to contribute at www.rangde.org.

The riders Vineet & Deepak

Rang De is a non-profit peer to peer lending platform that believes that the generosity of people can be channelled through the internet to lower the cost of loans to low-income communities across India.

They seek to empower people so they can escape the clutches of moneylenders, micro-financial institutions and, instead of getting rejected by banks or other traditional institutions who do not see them as worthy borrowers, get funds for their small businesses online.

Over the past nine years, 11,000 Indians have logged onto www.rangde.org to be the bankers that rural India needs helping facilitate over Rs 52 crores worth of social capital.

We, at ScoutMyTrip, feel travellers can play an active role in fighting poverty especially since we meet so many people across the world. We want to contribute towards fighting the menace of poverty by creating awareness so that platforms like Range De can empower more people in lower-income groups to fulfill their dream of owning a business and working towards living independently.

The women borrowers of Maharashtra

About Jayesh Dhayerkar

Jayesh is a 21-year-old young man from Shirur near Pune in Maharashtra. Hailing from a family traditionally practicing farming, Jayesh tried his hand at getting work while studying in Dombivili but had to drop out of school as his parents couldn’t afford it. Seeing people lose their way in the slums of Mumbai, Jayesh was afraid for his future until he found out about the Entrepreneurship Development Program run by Praj Foundation at Vigyan Ashram.

At a school that focuses exclusively on rural men like Jayesh – teaching them the elements of animal husbandry, financial management and basic communication. Jayesh utilized the knowledge gained in the course and started his own goat farming unit. The farming unit enables him to provide superior quality meat and milk products to the villagers at a low cost and during occasions like marriages and festivals, he earns enough so that his family can live a better life.

Jayesh had made a viable business plan at a very young age but he needed the funds. In February last year, 44 people stepped up on the Rang De platform and helped him get a loan of Rs 1.2 lakh so he could realise his dream.  With the money he received, he built a shed and purchased young and old goats and takes care of the animals on his own.

A man who could never speak up, Jayesh enthralled people at a conference held by Rang De in Pune last year where he passionately spoke about how many rural entrepreneurs like him need support throughout India if they are to get out of the clutches of poverty. The crowd-sourced Rang De loan has a 3 month moratorium period, 8% p.a. rate and can be repaid over two years.

Jayesh knew the only place where he could have received funding at such low rates was on the Rang De website and he is happy to have found both a school and a community that believes in him.

We are planning a ride to meet Jayesh on the February 4, 2017. Join us as we head out on our bullets and meet fellow bikers on the way and ride along to #FightPoverty. Stay tuned for updates on certain rendezvous points.

So how can you help? There are thousands of Jayeshs’ all over Maharashtra. We want to play a role in helping all of them. This ride is a small step in that direction.

And you can make an impact in people’s lives by making a contribution here.

Stay tuned to our social media channels for more updates regarding the first #FightPoverty ride. You can find them all on this blog.

We were lucky to be part of another campaign with Rang De to raise money to help people fulfill their dreams. You can read about it here.

You can also read about the first ever Ravine Bike Weekend here and here.

Disclaimer: ScoutMyTrip has no commercial interests in the donations made to Rang De. Donations need to be made made directly to Rang De which are lent to deserving members of the community. Rang De is a not for profit organization.