‘Vijay Sethupathi has silently helped a lakh people secure employment’

Chennai: A Pondicherry-based social activist has disclosed that actor Vijay Sethupathi has silently helped over a lakh people in the state to secure employment.

The activist, Veerarahavan, runs a non-governmental organization called Vallallar Velai Vaaipu Sevai Iyakkam, which is engaged in guiding and providing employment services free of cost to youngsters.

The NGO also has helped many companies in Pondicherry and several districts of Tamil Nadu find suitable employees.

Veerarahavan, who was working as a teacher in a central government school, initially started helping people on a part-time basis in the year 2016. At that point, he helped people find employment through three Whats App groups that he started. By 2019, he had managed to help around 3300 people secure jobs.

His service did not go unnoticed and Veerarahavan was invited to participate in a television show called ‘Namma Ooru Hero’ (Our Village’s Hero). Vijay Sethupathi, who was the host of the show, was impressed with Veerarahavan’s services.

Says Veerarahavan, “After the show ended, Vijay Sethupathi told me that he would do everything possible to help me provide my service on a full-time basis.”

Trusting his words, Veerarahavan chose to resign his teacher’s job. The programme in which Veerarahavan participated was aired on a popular TV channel in March 2019.

“Soon after the programme was aired, I was flooded with calls from companies looking for employees and youngsters looking for opportunities. When I drew Vijay Sethupathi’s attention, he immediately helped me set up a proper office in Pondicherry and recruit people to run it. All government norms were followed and a proper service organisation called the ‘Vallallar Velai Vaaipu Sevai Iyakkam’ came into existence.

“Vijay Sethupathi’s help was not an ordinary one. He kept disbursing the salaries of all my employees and me every month on time. As a result, both companies looking for employees and youngsters looking for employment stood to gain. As of March 20, 2022, 1,00,133 educated youngsters have stood to benefit from our services and have found suitable employment.”

Apart from giving out information on providing information about vacancies in private entities, the NGO also gives out information on vacancies in government departments. This apart, it also provides help to those looking to generate self-employment.