Revathi Pillay is pictured with her late mum Shirley, who she is honouring through a year-long initiative called, 'Creating Smiles with Shirley'
Image: Supplied
A KwaZulu-Natal youth ambassador and IT professional is transforming personal loss into a year-long mission of hope and compassion through an initiative aimed at supporting vulnerable communities while honouring the memory of her late mother.
Revathi Pillay, founder of the non-profit organisation Care for Africa, has been actively involved in addressing educational disparities in KwaZulu-Natal, identifying schools facing food shortages, stationery issues, and difficulties in paying school fees.
Following the passing of her mother, Shirley, in March, Pillay launched Creating Smiles with Shirley, an initiative dedicated to continuing her mother's legacy of kindness, service, and unconditional care.
Describing her mother as the “backbone” of both her life and community work, Pillay said the initiative was born from a desire to ensure her love and values continue to impact others in meaningful ways.
"I have embarked on a drive for a year to do work in my mum's name on a monthly basis. I will be going to old age homes, children's homes or even schools and just paying for school fees for children who cannot afford it. It is to just create smiles for Shirley.
"To know Shirley was to experience warmth, compassion, and an unwavering sense of care. She was a deeply motherly force, gentle yet strong, whose love extended far beyond her own family. She had an instinctive ability to nurture, to listen, and to make people feel valued and seen. Helping others was not something she sought recognition for; it was simply how she lived," said Pillay.
She added that her dad, Jeeva, had been by her mum's side as a pillar of strength and stability.
"His quiet resilience, support, and steadfast presence played a vital role in the life Shirley built and the values she lived by. Together, they embodied partnership, compassion, and purpose, providing a strong foundation not only for their family, but for the values passed on to the next generation.
"When my mum passed on, the loss was profound. Yet through the grief came a clear conviction that her love must continue. Not only in memory, but in meaningful action," said Pillay.
She said her mother believed that kindness was a responsibility.
"She believed in caring for the vulnerable, in uplifting those who had little support, and in extending compassion without judgment. Supported by my father’s strength and steadiness, she lived a life grounded in service, humility, and care.
"As someone actively involved in non‑profit and community work, my values were shaped by what I saw at home. Creating Smiles with Shirley ensures that my NPO work continues in her name and is guided by her compassion and grounded in the strength and stability that both my parents exemplified," she said.
Pillay said through this initiative, support will be provided to children’s homes, disability homes, and many schools, particularly within disadvantaged communities.
Revathi Pillay at Kwavulindlebe School for the deaf in Chatsworth
Image: Supplied
In April, Pillay kicked off with a visit to the Kwavulindlebe School for the deaf in Chatsworth. This month, Pillay plans to visit a home that caters for people with disability.
She said currently the initiative is being self-funded, together with her siblings and family.
"If there are organisations that may have surplus products and want to donate goods that will be welcome as it will create extra smiles out there," she said.
Pillay also hopes the initiative will become a platform for others who have lost their mothers to unite through acts of service and community upliftment.
“I want people who have experienced the loss of their mothers to become part of this journey. Loss can leave a void, but through service and compassion, we can continue the love our mothers gave to us,” she said.
Last year Pillay represented the voices and aspirations of SA's youth at the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha in India, where she served as a panellist during the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, addressing the topic “Beyond Borders: Diaspora Youth Leadership in a Globalised World”.