Tamil actor GV Prakash crowdfunds to help families affected by Ockhi

Actor, singer, music composer GV Prakash Kumar, who is known for his social work, has initiated a crowdfunding campaign to help about 500 families affected by the cyclone Ockhi in the south of Tamil Nadu.

Talking to the media, GV Prakash's friend and social activist, P Gunasekaran, said, "Actor GV Prakash recently inaugurated a crowdfunding effort through EdhuDharma, an internet platform, to provide help to the families of fishermen an farmers, who were badly affected by Ockhi. The entire southern coast of Tamil Nadu, in general and the fishermen and farmers of Kanyakumari in particular have been badly hit."

This is first such effort to help the victims of the cyclone in the region.

Explaining how the actor thought of crowdfunding, Gunasekaran said, "Recently, when GV Prakash went to visit the cyclone-affected areas, he was moved by the plight of a woman called Selvarani from Chinnathurai, who had lost everything because of the cyclone. So, he helped her. Looking at the help he offered her, others who were also badly affected began hoping he would do something to help them as well. That was when we arrived at this crowd funding initiative through the internet platform EdhuDharma. Through our volunteers there, we have made a list of 500 people who require help badly and for a start, we hope to raise Rs15 lakh through the initiative. When we presented the idea to GV Prakash, he not only donated to the cause but also inaugurated the initiative."