Service is god: Raghava Lawrence on peace and helping the poor
Actor and philanthropist Raghava Lawrence says true peace and happiness come from serving others. Through Maatram, he continues to support underprivileged communities with education, healthcare, sanitation, and rural welfare initiatives.
Published Date - 29 August 2025, 09:21 AM
Chennai: Actor Raghava Lawrence, a philanthropist who runs a movement called Maatram to help the poor and underprivileged in society, on Friday said that real peace and happiness can be found in serving others and making a difference in their lives.
Taking to his X timeline, the actor wrote:
“Life teaches us many lessons. We all go through ups and downs, searching for happiness in the outside world. But with time, we realize that true happiness does not come from outside, it comes from within. In the end, real peace and happiness are found in serving others and making a difference in their lives. #Serviceisgod”
The actor, who has been consistently providing financial support to the poor and physically challenged, was recently in the news for helping another actor, KPY Bala, construct restrooms in a government school, thereby providing much-needed relief for students who were suffering without proper facilities.
It may be recalled that Raghava Lawrence, a few days ago, shared a video clip of the newly constructed restrooms for students and said:
“Today, I feel so happy seeing the children benefit from the toilet facilities. But I’m disappointed with the opening process of the building, which I will soon talk about in a video. #Serviceisgod”
“KPY Bala brother shared with me an issue about a school that didn’t have proper toilet and bathroom facilities for the children. He requested a support of Rs 2 lakhs, but when I came to know that children were facing many infections because of this issue, my heart sank. I decided to donate Rs 15 lakhs to help them build proper toilet facilities. With this contribution, KPY Bala, along with the support of old students, built these much-needed facilities. My thanks to Bala and the old students,” Raghava Lawrence had said.
Prior to that, the actor had helped a man who had pledged his late wife’s mangalsutra to fund his daughter’s education.
He chose to retrieve the gold mangalsutra that a poor father had pawned in order to pay the college fees of his daughter.
Taking to his X timeline to share the development, he wrote:
“Hi everyone! I came across a story about a father who had pawned his late wife’s thali to pay for his daughter’s education. This touched me deeply, because my own family once went through a similar struggle. Through Maatram, I was able to retrieve the thali and return it to him. It was not just gold, but a precious memory of his beloved wife. My heart is truly full today. #Maatram #Serviceisgod”
Last year, the actor bought 10 tractors and distributed them to poor villages across the state for the benefit of poor farmers.