A friend recently asked me, “You’ve always talked about Safal Niveshak as a cause, right?”
“Indeed, it’s a cause to help small investors become independent and successful in their financial lives.” I replied. “But why did you ask that?”
“I was just going through your Investing Workshop page, and saw that you have priced your Workshops at Rs 5,000 at the higher end! Isn’t that expensive for a small investor? Doesn’t this also dilute the entire concept of this being a cause?”
“Well, I don’t have any statistic to prove how much a small investor can afford to invest in himself/herself by learning the art of investing,” I told him, “But I anyways expect people to pay based on the benefit they think they receive.”
“So have you had people who’ve paid you nothing?” he asked out of curiosity.
“Yes…a few of them!”
“Oh! So there are some who don’t find value in your teachings!”
“Not really!” I said. “These were students who could not afford to pay. So I asked them not to worry about the payment and instead concentrate on the learning.”
“Okay fine,” he said, “But what about the concept of it being a cause? If you are doing everything for free on Safal Niveshak, why not also conduct the Workshops for free?”
“Well, there’s another cause that I’m working for! You can call it Safal Niveshak’s secret mission.”
Visibly stumped, he asked, “What’s that? You’ve never told me about that!”
“Because it’s a secret!” I smiled and reverted.
“So are you planning to share that secret with your readers, whom you call your tribesmen?”
“Indeed…very soon…because they are also partners in this secret mission that I have for Safal Niveshak!” I said.
Safal Niveshak’s “Secret” Mission
Well, here it is…
The kid on the left is Shashikala (age 7), and the one on the right is Praveena (age 5). These girls are now part of my family, though they don’t live with me.
“Okay, so what’s the secret mission?” you may wonder.
Well, here it is.
The money that Safal Niveshak makes from the Art of Investing Workshops, and after meeting the costs, go towards sponsoring less privileged children. Praveena and Shashikala are two of them.
The sponsorship helps these two kids with essentials like education, safe drinking water, basic healthcare, food and nutrition, and immunization against killer diseases.
We (me and my wife) have not adopted any of these children. The people who adopt are the true unsung heroes. Their heart is 100-times bigger than mine.
These kids live with their parents in extremely poor conditions, and our sponsorships are just a way to help them live a life of respect.
What’s amazing about sponsoring even just one child is that the families and friends also benefit. She feels loved and her outlook in life is so much brighter knowing that someone she has never met cares enough to write her letters and send presents.
We do this via World Vision India, a well-run charity where I know for sure that the money I donate is actually going into the children and programs to provide them with good facilities, education and food.
Charity Navigator shows how well-run World Vision is.
Apart from sponsoring kids under World Vision, a part of the money from the Workshops also goes towards sponsoring food under the mid-day meal scheme for children taken care for by The Akshaya Patra Foundation, another organization doing a great job.
Till now, we have sponsored food for one year for 10 children through Akshay Patra, partly through our savings and partly from the Workshop income.
So that’s Safal Niveshak’s secret mission! 🙂
Anyways, since I’ve now shared this mission publicly, it’s only right that you see the fruits of your support.
However, I won’t write about it too often. This is because the last thing I want to do is use my mission as some form of marketing campaign for Safal Niveshak.
As of now, if you’ve attended any of the Art of Investing Workshops (Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, or Delhi), please know that you’ve helped us sponsor 2 children under World Vision and 10 under Akshay Patra, all for the next one year.
My dream is to sponsor 30 children annually over the next 5 years, and 100 in the next 10 years.
Since you are my partner in this journey, you must know that this is the higher purpose of the Safal Niveshak initiative.
My heart is dedicated to helping “people unlike us” and my little earnings from Safal Niveshak helps with just that.
I’m not a philanthropist. I’m just a regular guy who, with great support from his wife, wants to help and see the underprivileged children develop so that they may have the opportunity to live better lives and to be role models in their communities.
Here again, I’m reminded of Warren Buffett who often says, “If you’re in the luckiest 1% of humanity, you owe it to the rest of humanity to think about the other 99%.”
Safal Niveshak – not just me, but you too – is on to doing whatever little it can for the rest of humanity.
What does this revelation mean for you?
Well, nothing!
Since you are an integral part of Safal Niveshak, I shared with you what I’m doing via this initiative apart from the investing education that I try to provide through the website and the Workshops that I conduct across cities.
Whatever I’m doing now on the website will be free for life (till I’m able-bodied to do it, that is) plus the Workshop pricing will remain as it is. I don’t expect people to pay me more than the benefit they receive from the Workshop.
I’ve shared all this with you with just one expectation, and here it is via a slide that I share during my Workshops…
Invest sensibly to not just meet your personal financial goals, but also to give it…to the 99% of humanity that needs it.
I’m not asking you to do any charity. Just generosity…for the world can become even more beautiful when you and I become even more generous.
As Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”
Let’s get a life! What do you say?
Very good… Glad to see this side of yours… You don’t need money to start giving, you need heart. BIG Heart.. Which I guess you have it.
I request to you and other SN Tribesman to take a look at this initiative – http://www.rangde.org. Its not donation, but its investment, through which you help the needy and you get your money back at the end of year.
http://www.rangde.org/investor/abhay is my profile link for your reference. Disclaimer – I am in no way related to the founder, organizers at all. I give my time, energy to spread awareness about the same over east coast region in US.
Great to know about your initiative, Abhay! You have my best wishes.
Great Post Vishal!. There are very few people in the world today who think about giving/helping others and you are one of them. Unfortunately I could not attend the workshop in Chennai and missed out an opportunity to contribute to ‘World Vision India’.
Regards,
Jana
No words Vishal! Believe me, I already found the workshop undervalued, and this post has probably increased the value of workshop for me at least 1000 time more now!
Many congratulations, and great to see my mentor believing in the cause for the society 🙂 I’m so proud to be part of this mission 🙂
Thanks Sunny and Jana! I’ll repeat that the pricing of the Workshop has nothing to do with what I plan to do on the “mission” front.
So Jana, the best way you can contribute is to do whatever you can do in your own way, instead of looking to do it via Safal Niveshak. And I’m sure you’re already doing your bit to make this world a better place for the under-privileged. 🙂
Vishal, your secret is not surprising me, but only confirming your tender heart. I have been following your articles quite regularly and I admire your non-materialistic attitude towards life while I astonish your sheer brilliance in value investing.
I would like to actively participate and contribute through this mission as well. Let me know when you are planning to conduct a workshop in Chennai. I would be happy to meet you in person.
This is noble and good hearted. Keep up the good work. To give is to get… the more you give the more it comes back to you.
Vishal, I still think that there should be a minimum price for your workshop because people just dont value free stuff.
Thanks Krish, but a minimum price may restrict those who can’t afford to pay to get the learning. I won’t like that to happen.
Knew you are doing a great service through your posts, this side of you is more respectable. I wish your “secret” all the very best Vishal.
Your “People unlike us” is fresh and thought provoking.
That is a wonderful job Vishal…:)
We all really appreciate that….:)
My heartfelt wishes to you..:)
Hi Vishal, I am posting my views about your secret mission today although we have been talking about that yesterday on FB Chat.. 🙂
Every few days, you spring one surprise or the other. And everytime, my respect for you goes one notch higher. As it is, the SN initiative is, by itself, a very noble cause as it takes a really generous heart to work selflessly and without any monetary incentive to educate others. Then you had all of us sharing Prof. Bakshi’s wisdom and now your philanthropic side. Hats Off. Most of the great Investors I have read about place a great deal of incentive on charity, or to Tithe. But actually practicing is what matters. And you have taken great strides in that.
My sincere heartfelt wishes to you, and hats off. You will be a great source for inspiration not only in Value Investing but the “other” side of Life also.
Dear Vishal
In my view and in the view of fellow tribesman, you have gone up a great notch above. Not only are you practicing Value Investing, you have Great Values. Giving has to come from the Heart; and it need not only be in terms of monetary value, but can take many forms as well-providing free service, counselling, a smile to bring happiness to a terminally ill patient etc. My personal opinion is: I like to use the word Giving or sponsor rather than Charity, which sounds like a person is proud of giving. Again , I normally keep my Giving /donations private, as i feel I am not doing anything great by doing so.
I have been very fortunate in life: ”Giving” struck roots early with my parents. I am told that when APS ( Archarya Patashala) people in Blore will be familar, was in doldrums, my father gave a donation of Rs 10,000 in the 1940’s !! Two of my older cousins lived in my house while doing their BSc/ Engg in the 1940’s and my mother looked after them so well. My parents gave away their share of father’s property to his younger brother who was not well off. Its another matter that there was no gratitude. I have seen a lot of money made and lost and have taken everything in my stride. I have gone to school walking, school bus and even in our Mercedes Benz car in the 50’s and 60’s!
As i said sometime back, ” I cried because I did not have shoes, till I found a man without feet”’ That says it all.
Best wishes to fellow tribesman.
Mr. Chandrashekhar,
Your post always brings a fresh perspective, no matter what the subject. Your worldly wisdom really touches me. And the way you explain is simply superb. I always look forward to read your comments.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom with us fellow tribesmen.
Amazing lessons on life, Mr. Chandrashekar! These are like guiding lights. Thanks for sharing!
Dear Mr. Chandrashekar,
That was a wonderful comment to read. What a wisdom and great lesson to learn!! Thank you very much..:)
Dear Mr. Vishal, Chandrashekar, Bhatia ji and many more SN tribesmen, though I haven’t met you people in person, I have been reading your comments and found lot of insights, wisdom, teaching, your openness, everything is invluable..
You people believe it or not you all are definitely inspiring a generation..
How good it would have been if everyone in this world thinks that he is inspiring a generation and then act !!!
Dear Vishal, Sanjeev, Shankar and other fellow tribesman
Thank you for your gracious comments. If whatever little i know(”Giving”) enriches your life’s, i would be the happiest person.