Recently, a 20-year-old girl, Hanan Hamid, from Kerala caught everyone's attention. She was selling fish after her college hours to support education. In the polarized present, there are two arguments to everything. Even this news which should ideally serve as motivation was both hailed and rebuked by people. But if we leave behind the negativity, the story of the 20-year-old girl shows there is a way to fund your education yourself. As my parents supported my school, such stories are an eye-opener for me.
I heard two colleagues supplementing income in their college days by conducting tuitions for students. While one of them converted a room in his house so that he can teach multiple students, the second one used to go to the student's homes to provide coaching. Although privacy of your home is disrupted with students arriving in the early mornings or late evenings, the second method also is also challenging. You have to walk to your student's homes. Recently, I met with a student studying dentistry supplementing income as an Uber driver. I had hailed a cab using Uber app when I was in Kochi. When the driver turned up, he was not navigating the Kochi roads the right way. He was moonlighting as an Uber cab driver as he didn't want to burden his parents too much.
I love Uber. But I have heard drivers complaining about Uber. The drivers are not happy with what they are getting. As a consumer, I am satisfied. When the people providing the service aren't happy, you suddenly worry about the longevity of the service. Is it a sustainable model? The young soon-to-be dentist is one of the few good stories that I have heard from the driver. I am glad Uber is providing a means for self-employment who aspire for more. The conversation was much more interesting where he pointed out how easy is to get a loan from a bank to buy a car which can be used an Uber cab.
Thank you
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