Bhola Prasad, struggling to make ends meet, owns a clothing shop providing free clothes to poor families.

 

Bhola also sells Ayurvedic medicines and cosmetics in weekly bazaars and markets in the rural areas.

 

Bhola told IANS, "My childhood was full of difficulties. When I grew up, the burden of the whole family fell on my shoulders following which I started setting up a shop in weekly markets. At the same time, I used to feel bad seeing the ill-clad children of poor families during the intense summer heat and the biting cold in winter so I started to provide clothes to the poor."

 

He said that earlier he used to collect discarded clothes going house to house and distribute them among poor families in the villages. He added that he could not spare time for his own business while providing clothes to the poor. After this, he set up an old clothes shop.

 

Bhola told IANS that now people come to the shop to give old and useless clothes and people from poor families come here to collect them.

 

He said that in the 'old clothes shop', clothes are provided free of cost to the needy people. He said he himself goes to collect old clothes in a new area but when people come to know about it, they start sending him clothes.

 

Bhola's old clothes shop now stocks jeans, pants, t-shirts, frocks, salwar suits, saris, sweaters, jackets, dhoti and shawls.

 

He said that this work has been going on continuously for five years. Initially he had to face taunts and criticism from many people, but as time passed he began receiving overwhelming support from the people. People are now coming forward to help Bhola in collecting old clothes.

 

Bhola, who has seen poverty from close quarters, said that he has also distributed new clothes to many poor families by buying them with his own money. Seeing the smiles on the faces of poor children gives him immense satisfaction.

 

Latehar MLA Baidyanath Ram also appreciated Bhola's efforts. Ram said that Bhola has become a source of inspiration for the youth in doing social service. He said that Bhola as a boy had an interest in social service from the beginning and has become a role model for people today.