Unsung hero: Opening her heart, home to the needy
Durban - This week’s unsung hero, Tisha Pillay, has dedicated 22 years of her life towards helping people from her community in Bayview, Chatsworth.
Pillay, 49, has been working with the poor, elderly, frail and those battling drug addiction. Her aim is to make their lives a little easier, given that many of them are from impoverished backgrounds. Pillay moved to Bayview more than 20 years ago after her house burned down.
Struck by poverty, her hardship motivated her to help whoever she could. Pillay, who works as a community caregiver at the Bayview Clinic, receives a stipend from the Department of Health for her services which include TB tracing, finding defaulting patients and provides healthcare services to the people of Bayview. She uses some of her income and the donations she collects to help rehabilitate those addicted to drugs.
“Bayview has many social ills. The community has been experiencing a drug issue over the years and I’ve taken in many young men who need rehabilitation and I have housed them in my home. The use of meth in the area is very high. I’ve kept drug addicts in my home, sometimes for years on end. Many of these young men who have been rehabilitated are doing well in life.
It makes me so happy to know that I made a difference in their lives,“ she said. Pillay has also been the go-to person for the young children in the neighbourhood. “I’ve also been assisting the children with school uniforms. Some parents cannot afford to buy uniforms for their children or stationery and I try to help out.
There’s a lot of poverty in Bayview. Scholars are victimised because of the uniforms that they wear. I use social media to get donations for the children and it’s been very good in the past few years. We also have the issue of overcrowded homes. Some homes have 11 people with 6 school-going children. Life is tough for them.
But we try to help where we can. I work with a group of other women and the greatest pleasure is when we see the smiles on the faces of those who we have helped,” she said. Another grave concern for Pillay was the abuse of children. She said her main goal was to help parents take better care of their children. “The children are our future leaders. It’s sad because a lot of kids are being hurt.
People come to me when there is a problem because I’m someone they can talk to and trust. They know I work at the clinic and will be able to help them. We don’t turn anyone away,” said Pillay. Paramavathie Pillay, 85, was full of praise for Pillay. The elderly woman said Pillay always made herself available to help her when needed. “She takes me to the clinic for my check-ups and helps me if there is no one around.
Tisha is very helpful and I appreciate her,“ said Paramavathie. Brandon Pillay, member of National Assembly, who has worked closely with Pillay described her as passionate, and said: “I think considering her circumstances, she has never wanted to give up on people. She has been volunteering for many years and I’ve worked with her for a long time.”
Shine a light on our unsung heroes
They walk among us – the selfless individuals of all races who go out of their way to make a difference in the lives of others. They raise people up, help improve their lot in life and give them hope and a belief in the future. And they do so with little or no recognition – they never ask for it, driven instead to help others without fuss or fanfare. Ordinary folk who do the extraordinary, who make you proud to be a South African. If you know of such an Unsung Hero, email their name and surname and two contact numbers to tribunenews@inl.co.za with ‘Unsung Hero’ in the subject line so that we can share their amazing stories and give others hope
SUNDAY TRIBUNE