Brandon D’Souza was born on 4th March in the year 2000 in the city of joy – Kolkata. Just a fortnight after his birth, his family had to move to Uttar Pradesh. It is where he spent his early childhood. Brandon’s family comprises his two elder sisters, him and his parents. Again, in 2011, Brandon, along with his family, had to relocate to Chhattisgarh. Brandon’s father worked as a contractor and relocated to new cities due to his nature.
He recalls himself as being one of the naughtiest children. Yet, it was always in his nature to be helpful. This trait is something that he credits to his parents’ genes. Brandon always mentions ‘3 States’, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, within his soul.
It happened during the winters. That night it was freezing, and everybody was shivering due to the extreme cold, but fortunately, they had warm clothes to provide them relief. Brandon saw that there were several homeless people on the roads, and they too were shivering unbearably. They had gathered in a circle around the tires and plastics that they lit up, trying to warm themselves near the Bilaspur Railway Station.
He was eager to help them, but he thought maybe someone else would help them. Everyone does have their closets occupied with some unnecessary extra clothes which one can donate. Several days passed by, but the condition had remained the same. Brandon noticed that not a single individual had come forward to help them. After witnessing this, Brandon realized that he would have to be that ‘someone, without waiting any longer. He had decided at that very moment that he would do something for them.
When Brandon enrolled in college to pursue Mass Communication and Journalism, he started sharing his ideas and thoughts with a few friends. He encouraged his friends to help the poor and distribute necessities during their free time. He came up with the idea of investing time rather than wasting it. Brandon received immense support from his friends. Soon after, he started an organization. The very first task that the team undertook was a ‘cloth drive.’ And they conducted it on such a large scale that the city’s maximum area had gotten covered under the mission.
Brandon D’Souza – Founder Khwaab Welfare Foundation
Today, Brandon is the proud founder of two organizations. One of his organizations, the Khwaab Welfare Foundation, is committed to social work. During the lockdown in 2020, his organization was the first one to come forward and start feeding the homeless and the needy in Bilaspur. They distributed the items for the first few days included buns, biscuits, and bananas. Later, they started cooking food by themselves and fed 300 to 1000 people daily as per the requirement.
It continued for almost 60 days, which meant they distributed almost 30,000 food packets and many other aids like sanitary pads, mosquito repellents, soap, and oil to the poor in Bilaspur city. His team had helped many families with ration too. The city swore in Brandon’s organization as one of the ‘Corona Warriors’ for their outstanding and contributory efforts for their excellent voluntary work.
Speaking about his second initiative, he says he is an environmentalist and that his initiative ‘No Four Plastic’ is actively working towards reducing plastic wastage. His foundation had organized a cleaning drive on this Youth Day and accumulated over 400 kilos of waste from a tourist spot!
It was done by the combined mammoth efforts of 130 volunteers, later recognized by the Adharshila group, Navbharat, and Dainik Bhaskar. The ‘No four plastic’ campaign targets four basic plastic types, primarily used and easy to reuse: plastic water bottles, plastic bags, tea coffee cups, and straws.
On asking about the challenges he faced, he mentions that social work demands time and dedication. Managing both college and social work was challenging. Still, with the Grace of God and all the support that he had acquired from everyone, he was able to diligently shoulder the responsibility of his studies and social work.
Everyone was encouraging him, and their positive response kept him motivated. Brandon’s family also supported him in the initial phases, and they continue to do so. His relatives are very proud of his initiative. Brandon has always found himself motivated because of the teachings that he had received from his mother. His mother had always taught him to help and be kind from childhood. “My dad and mom both are very helpful, and I’ve seen them helping others. And today, I am happy that I am a little like them”, says Brandon.
Brandon is an inspiration to the youth. He wishes that all young individuals should come forward to contribute some of their time to social welfare. When asked what message he would like to convey to the people, he said, “I would like to give a message to the youth that WE are the only hope and WE, together, can bring a change. Anyone willing to start an organization or a group and which requires any help can contact me anytime. I just started what I wanted to do and learned from others with time. There was no one to guide me initially, but I kept at it.”
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