The Hindu: Chennai: Sunday, May
22, 2016.
Visakh P.R.
left his job to do what he loved the most: social service. This resident of
Kodambakkam was working as a banker when he decided to follow his childhood
dream. One of his first campaigns was crowd-funding for a child suffering from
Thalassemia. The child needed a bone-marrow transplant surgery. Visakh was able
to raise Rs. 2.5 lakh.
More
recently, he participated in the flood relief work, but, unlike most others, he
continued his campaign many months after the deluge. He organised the ‘Let’s
Give Campaign,’ sourcing and distributing clothing to needy. His was able to
reach out to hundreds of people.
Visakh has
also conducted a blood donation camp along with the Red Cross.
He also uses
the RTI Act to help people.
“I filed two
RTIs in relation to faulty cylinders sent to many houses in his neighbourhood.
I also wrote a letter to the Central Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas,
which, in turn, forwarded his letter to three oil marketing companies,” he
says.
But he
considers the flood-relief work as the most fulfilling.
“I felt the
extensive relief work was not reaching everyone, so I and a few other friends
started this campaign and travelled by motorcycles to find people who hadn’t
received help. Our primary focus was roadside dwellers,” says Vishak.
The team also
provided sanitary napkins to the gynaecology and the obstetrics wards of
government hospitals.
Visakh does
not believe in starting an NGO. “If it’s an organisation it needs more people.
This means we would have to pay employees. I can use this money instead to help
the needy,” he says.
He is now
about to launch the second phase of the ‘Let’s Give Campaign.’ Unlike the
previous phase, this one is not going to be public. He and his friends are
going to approach donors to help needy people.
Visakh also
runs a blog page (www.inventthenextbigthing.blogspot.com) that focuses on
social activism, and has a forum on Facebook called ‘India Needs a Change’,
which has over 3000 members.
He is also
planning on writing a novel.
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