CHENNAI: Can a film personality engaged in work 24 x 7 find time to serve deprived children? Tamil actor and choreographer Lawrence Raghavendra would say ‘yes’.
He has proved that one can harmonise professional life with service to the lesser privileged. And he has now been chosen by the State government for the Best Social Worker Award this year.
The 35-year-old actor, who had to drop out of school after class IX due to a brain tumour that paralysed him for many years, learned from life the essence of living: Service to the lesser privileged is service to the Lord.
Lawrence, who will be receiving the award on Independence Day, told Express that he was motivated to take up social service by the inconsolable pain that had crept into his mind due to his inability to study in the early years. So he decided to serve physically challenged persons as well as those children who have less opportunity for education.
He started his mission in his Ashok Nagar house many years ago with a couple of physically challenged children but the number grew manifold in due course.
At one point, he left his house for a rented flat, giving room for these children.
Later, he took a house at Saligramam to provide shelter to 40 physically challenged persons between the age group of 10 and 40 years.