Frontlist | Auto driver was selling vehicle to fund education of daughters, now Xiaomi steps in with money for a year

The past year has been tough for everyone. More so for service providers. The pandemic has hit businesses hard, forcing them to take tough steps. Things have been more difficult for the self-employed. An auto-rickshaw driver found himself in a similar situation. As the COVID-19 spread and a lockdown was imposed, this auto-rickshaw driver was forced to sit at home. With no income, the driver decided to sell his vehicle to fund his daughters’ education only for Xiaomi to intervene and help him out. Xiaomi’s Global VP and India MD Manu Kumar Jain tweeted that the company will now be funding one year of education for both the daughters of the rickshaw driver. The tweet included a social media post narrating the story of the driver. It claimed that the driver had taken a loan to meet his financial needs during the tough phase. Both his daughters are studying in the same school Maharshi Vidya Mandir. As things changed and schools turned towards online education, the driver had to buy smartphones for both his daughters. He first took a loan against his auto and then pledged his wife’s Mangal Sutra for the same. Thamb Ji had no other option but to sell his auto if he was unable to repay the loan. “We believe that everyone has the right to #education! We came to know about Thambi ji, an auto-rickshaw driver, who was selling the rickshaw for kids' education. Books. Happy: we're supporting both his daughters' education for one year,” Jain tweeted, along with a picture of the driver with his wife. This isn’t the first time when Xiaomi has come out to help people. Last month, it had announced a campaign with Sonu Sood to empower underprivileged children. As part of the collaboration, Mi India announced to empower thousands of students by donating Redmi smartphones. The initiative also allows people to donate their smartphones which are in good condition through a microsite launched by the brand. Last year, it had also announced a Scholarship program where Xiaomi plans to spend Rs 2 crore towards students’ education in partnership with Teach for India as well as Buddy4study. On the business front, Xiaomi is gearing up to launch the Redmi Note 10 series in India. The new smartphones will be unveiled on March 4. Read more: Pokhriyal meets heads of centrally-funded institutions of Gujarat Source: India Today