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The Sacred Turtles of Kandavu

  The Sacred Turtles of Kandavu A Fijian Legend 1.     What is a legend? A legend is a very  old   story  or set of  stories  from  ancient   times about famous events or persons. These   stories are not always  true . 2.     Where does the story “The Scared Turtles of Kandavu” take place? The legend of the sacred turtles of Kandavu takes place in the Fijian island of Namuana. 3.     Fiji:  Fiji, a country in the South Pacific, is an archipelago (group of islands) of more than 300 islands. It's famed for rugged landscapes, palm-lined beaches and coral reefs with clear lagoons. 4.     How, according to the legend, did the warriors of Kadavu save themselves a long journey by sea? The Fijian islands are surrounded by sea. The legends says that the warriors of Kadavu saved the time for a long journey by sea, by sliding their canoes on rollers up over the narrow neck of land. 5.     What is the strange custom observed by the women of Namuana? The women of Namuan

Irfan Alam : Profile


 

Irfan Alam:

Irfan Alam, popularly known as ‘The Rickshaw Man from Bihar’, for his innovative business model for empowering rickshaw-pullers, is an internationally acclaimed social entrepreneur.

Alam, a Fulbright Scholar of the Harvard Kennedy School, has also completed his master’s in Public Administration.

He was among a select list of people who were invited to attend the Young Entrepreneurs’ Summit at the White House in 2010 and had impressed former American President Barak Obama.

 President Obama complimented him with the words, "You are doing a tougher job than me."

Irfan Alam, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad, came up with the idea of equipping rickshaws with music, magazines, newspaper, first-aid kits, refreshments and advertisements, to help rickshaw-pullers.

Irfan Alam established a foundation for Rickshaw Pullers called SammaaN in Patna in 2007.

He began with 300 rickshaws, and it has today more than 500,000 rickshaws across India, registered with his company.

After his college studies, he won a famous reality show, Business Baazigar organized by Zee T V.

The show aimed to find people with innovative business ideas.

In spite of winning the prestigious award, Irfan turn down USD 250,000 investment offer from the organizer, because it conflicted with his business ethics.

Today, the SammaaN Foundation is known, not only for systematizing and empowering the rickshaw pullers and their families, in India but also for turning this, otherwise sick sector into a robust business model.

Being a social entrepreneur, Irfan Alam has been globally recognized as expert on social entrepreneurship, and turning corporate social responsibilities, into lucrative, socially relevant business opportunities.

He is also the founder of SammaaN Women Association, which provides education, training and employment opportunities for women.

He has also founded MATiNS Enterprise, an interactive outdoor advertising, marketing and portfolio Management Company.

The sight of a cycle rickshaw puller hauling passengers around is a common sight throughout India.

Subsisting barely above the poverty level, these hardworking yet environmentally friendly operators are all but invisible to their passengers as they navigate busy urban streets and rural country roads with the same ease.

But they did come to the notice of Irfan Alam, a young social entrepreneur, who was struck by the poverty-ridden conditions in which they operate.

Irfan Alam wondered if the rickshaw drivers could make extra money by selling drinks, newspapers, or even mobile-phone cards to their passengers.

He figured a rickshaw could be used as an advertising medium and courier service, since the average vehicle covers about 10 kilometers a day around town. 

These ideas evolved into the non-profit organization SammaaN (means “dignity”).

Today these sleek refitted cycle rickshaws, driven by uniformed personnel, have changed the landscape of the roads in the state of Bihar in India.

Irfan Alam, the winner of Business World’s “Hottest Young Entrepreneur” Award, the TED Fellowship Award, and BRLP World Bank Innovation Award, was also nominated by the Foundation for Social Young Entrepreneurs, Beijing, as Asia’s most inspiring young entrepreneur.

Note: An entrepreneur is one who seizes initiative, by organizing a new venture and  takes benefit of the new opportunity.

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