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.
