Business Acumen Part 1: Little Kid Adventures

How do we learn business? Some do it in business schools, some learn it from parents, some do it by being in business, and some learn it by sheer grit. I had seen money lenders visiting my family, taking away some hard earned money as part payment against the money that my father had borrowed. Often it was very tough for them to pay back the money. I had seen bank notices at home coming on printed inland letters mentioning of pending dues or a probable sale notice. My father would borrow more money from someone, take it to the bank, pay off the interest, and procure fresh loan. I vividly remember instances when our family lost ornaments as the bank monetized them. 

Money was a rare commodity. My older brother's grocery store in the village was a small one, and often it did run at loss as family took things from the store, and we expected that the income was so big that it could replenish the capital. But that wasn't so. However, hardly I was six years old I began to spend a lot of time at the shop. In weekends, and at times during lunch break at the school I would be hanging around there. It helped me to learn quickly on: measurements (both weights and liquids as oil was sold in milliliters, and other things in grams and kilos), and calculation of money that had to be done quickly, and often in mind. Learning mental calculations is critical to learning mind.

The games that we played as kids also meant a lot of calculations that had to be done. The well known goli-danda (marble and stick) or, just playing marbles at its various versions, and playing ball with a small bat where you were alone against several opponents required enormous calculations. I learned it early that there was an opportunity to make money - both in games and at home. 

I bought three marbles for 10 paise (one tenth of a rupee), and I would play well. If I played well, I could win marbles from others. So, initially I took my opponents strategically, and once I gained expertise in the game, I knew I could win anyone in our street. Now, what did I do with the marbles that I won. The logic was simple: the shop sold single marble at 5 paise, and three marbles for 10. I sold it to the boys from whom I won and other children of my age at a cheaper rate. I gave 2 for 5 paise and 4 for ten. It was a good bargain for them. So, they bought the marbles that I won from them, then they bought it from me by giving me money, and they lost it again to me in games! Kind of addiction that had built into them had kept my business going. I was just 7 or 8 years old then. At times I had more than 10 rupees which helped me buy some books or stationary for which I didn't have to depend on my parents. And I could always depend on my collection of marbles that were anywhere between 50 - 100.

One day, my mother asked me for two rupees to buy fish as she didn't have money. I gave her the money on the condition that she should return it with some interest. She returned it the next day with 50 paise added (100 paise = 1 Indian rupee). I thought this as a good idea. My mother, and even the neighborhood women, most of them relatives, needed money to fend of some emergency. Often it was between 50 paise to 2 rupees - may be to buy fish or to do some grocery. I had a simple logic in my interest rate:

Per day interest rate:

up to 25 paise : 5 paise per day

26 - 50 paise : 10 paise

51 - 75 paise : 15 paise

76 - 99 paise : 20 paise

1 rupee : 25 paise.

So, if you took 1 rupee for three days, you would end up paying me:

On day 1 : 1.25

On day 2 : 1.25 + 30 (interest of 25 paise added on top of the 1 rupees interest) = 1.55

On day 3 : 1.55 + 40 (interest of 1.55) = 1.95

In other words, I had my money doubled in three days. My mother would say, "I can borrow from any money lender, but not from my son!" And then, she would laughingly and gladly would borrow from me. Even others helped me my borrowing from me. The reason? They all knew that I used the money to take care of my little expenses, and at times I helped few very poor kids.

(The second part : "Business Acumen Part 2 - Going Bananas" will be published on 18 April 2020)

  

Clean and Unclean

Banjara Basti is a small little slum housing about 400 families along the drain that flows along the railway tracks next to Tikiapara station in Howrah, West Bengal. Since our team works among these people too I get to go through some of the places on this route. Yesterday, 18 Feb, I told Ruby and Meena, two social mobilisers to take me into the slum to speak to the men and women there. The houses were practically floating on the filthy water that was flowing out of the drain and each house was raised about 2 to 3 feet above the ground to let the filth flow below them. I wouldn't call this "disaster preparedness" in any way, because they were living on hazards, with no means and way. There were scores of children. About a 100 of them below 5 years. I found none of them wearing any footwear to protect them from the germs. I even found children dropping and picking up things from the two feet wide small narrow raised "road" (probably the raised portion of the tubed drain) with bare hands. Women and children were sitting on filth with no care. I got to speak to children, older ladies and a few young and old men. There was a old man who was sitting and spitting all along. His teeth were sparkling red...green....blue...black, due to many years of chewing tobacco and betel leaves. Hygiene, Water and Sanitation are never heard off in these families. I saw some young girls and boys going to school. That was the only comforting point of life. 

Just a stone throw away I saw the Big Bazaar on the Belilious Road, big and mighty, with large space to park tens of cars, and for the affluent to walk, shop, eat and make merry, oblivious to the other world that exists in filth, discomfort and with no means to live on. Who is clean? And who is not?

Kids Have it Big

Sunday, 18 Dec 2011. Location Aminpur, near Bahiri, a little known tribal village near Bolpur. We three of us from CKS reached the village in the morning, and the children and villagers had been informed that there will be a small sports event in view of the Christmas and New Year on the anvil. We were delighted by the enthusiasm of children and the time went flying! In about three hours with the children and some of the villagers, we had won their heart, and they loved the fun. The winners were given prizes. There was an interesting twist in the games. Except for two of them, all others had some mental exercise along with the physical game. For example the little kids while running a 100 meter race had to stop at 50 meter point, identify the animal in the picture, write it in Bangla language and then complete the race. The older ones had a simple mathematical calculation to complete in a 200 meter race! This made it more interesting for children as the competition became a learning point as well. 

A week back, a drawing competition had been held as well for those children who are getting special educational support from our organization, and those children too received prizes. The joy is in giving. As the saying goes, the smell of a flower remains in the hands of the giver.