WITH a vision to uplift communities, restore a sense of humanity and help people be better humans, Nolan Pillay found the Be the Best Version of Yourself Foundation in October 2021.
“Through our various programmes, we have realised there is a need to focus on uplifting communities. Every year, we select a different cause and plan a golf day, or similar activity in support of that cause. It is also our intention to open a community skills village.”
Pillay said that last year, the foundation’s vision was to partner with the deaf community.
“Our challenge was called Climb4TheDeaf. It involved climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. We created the following goals: to create an awareness of the daily challenges faced by the deaf; to bridge the gap between the hearing and the deaf communities in Africa by having workshops; and to raise funds for cochlear implants and hearing aids for children born deaf.
“We helped two children, aged 7 and 15, to live normal lives. One of them was bullied in school. As a life coach, I coached her for six months. The bullying stopped and she is working harder at school.
“We also aimed to create programmes to develop young minds and create authentic leaders. With this, I am now the partner with the Napoleon Hill Foundation. They are famous for the book, Think and Grow Rich, that sold more than 200 million copies and the movie, The Secret. To this extent, in South Africa, I am rolling out an eight month programme for youth but require sponsorship.”
Pillay said next year they planned to climb again.
“This time, it is called Climb4Mental Wellness, cancer and the start of our community skills village. Our goals are to improve the lives of those living with mental health conditions, enhance mental health awareness through workshops/campaigns, create cancer awareness and remove the stigma and fear attached to it, to help people recognise the early signs and symptoms of cancer. This will enable them to seek treatment at an early stage, and to start our community skills village.”
Pillay explained how the foundation operated: “We share our upcoming events on our social media pages. If anyone is interested, we conduct a pre-interview to ensure they will not let us down at the last minute. Once we get our team of 15 to 18 climbers, we communicate via WhatsApp groups. For next year, the climb has attracted climbers from Canada, Norway and Portugal. We now have a core team together. With climbers in a specific province, we team up and have various fund-raisers, like our golf day in October.”
Pillay said it was crucial for people to dedicate time, effort, resources and compassion towards uplifting others.
“While personal success and fulfilment are important, serving our communities and contributing to the well-being of others offers numerous benefits. In South Africa, people need to learn to be human again. A sense of community and mutual support fosters a healthier and more inclusive society.
“When we actively engage with our communities, we build connections, empathy and understanding among diverse groups of people. This can lead to the creation of safer, more vibrant and cohesive neighbourhoods where everyone feels valued and supported.
“Moreover, serving others enables us to develop a broader perspective on the world around us. By understanding the challenges faced by individuals and groups, we can become more informed and compassionate citizens. This awareness can inspire positive change and advocacy efforts that address systemic issues and promote equality. Hence our motto reads: ‘No one has become poor by giving. Serve humanity’.”
Aside from the golf day on October 26, the foundation will plan a fund-raising evening event.
“The cost to climb Mount Kilimanjaro is less than R90 000 per climber. This includes everything from flights to the tour company, and so on. We would love to partner with a company that sees value in what we are doing.”
To more on the foundation, see the organisations website. You can also see their pages on Instagram and Facebook.
For more information, call Nolan Pillay at 062 556 7817, or Seema Pillay at 061 703 3750.