On May 9, Sonu Sood, along with his childhood friend Niti Goel were distributing food to workers and discovered that migrants are leaving Mumbai due to loss of jobs during the lockdown. He then took permission from various state authorities, arranged the first batch of the bus within 48 hours, and successfully sent back 300 migrant workers. Recently, he also arranged an AirAsia flight to send back 180 migrants to Assam. Taking a step ahead to help migrant workers, Sonu Sood’s Pravasi Rojgar will create job opportunities for them.
Talking about his motivation behind the initiative, he said,
Seeing their struggle reminds me of my own here as an actor. It was difficult initially for me. When I see them, I can recollect my journey.
Hailed as migrant’s superhero, Sonu Sood’s Pravasi Rojgar promises to provide jobs to migrant workers who have lost their jobs. His platform has tied up with Learnet Skills, a joint venture between Schoolnet India and National Skill Development Corporation. The portal received 50,000 migrant requests in the first 24 hours of its launch and demand of more than 1 Lakh jobs from the employers.
On his 47th birthday, he tweeted, Pravasi Rojgar initiative aims to provide jobs to 2 Cr youth in the next five years. With no defined parameters, anyone who is migrant, college, school pass-outs, and dropouts can register to acquire entry-level jobs in the manufacturing and service sectors. The platform aims to bridge the gap between unemployed and more than 450 employers on board to find their skilled workers. In addition to this, candidates in need of jobs will get career counseling and skill training if needed to leverage their profile. Some of the top leading employers who have committed to the cause are Amazon, Flipkart, Sodexo, Max Healthcare, Urban Company, Silver Spark, Welspun India, JBM Group, and Portea.
In a recent interview, Sonu said:
Every time I sent someone home, they would tell me we will come back if we get work. They would call me from their villages and say ‘sir please help in getting a job. I realized that there was a gap in their skill sets and the jobs that were available. Most of them did not have access to information on jobs either.
He has partnered with community-based organizations, leading skill development organizations, Common Service Centres, Philanthropic Organizations, Government Bodies, Strategy Consultants, and Technology startups.
Sonu Sood plays the role of a villain on the big screen but with his recent acts of kindness has proved that he is a hero in real life. He has also received much appreciation from prominent political leaders of India, and celebrities. With more than 40 million migrant laborers in the country, small initiatives by influential personalities can bring the difference in society and Sonu Sood’s Pravasi Rojgar is one such example.
