Written by: Gerda Potgieter
Article source: Supplied
Keegan Pillay has experienced many challenges but has adapted well and emerged stronger. Looking in his soft eyes now, it is hard to believe that he was once a hardened criminal who had no respect for the lives of others. There was a time when he embraced the name his friends gave him—’Lucifer’.
Keegan was exposed to alcohol and violent movies from a young age. He also started smoking cigarettes at a young age. By the time he celebrated his 12th birthday, he was already addicted to drugs and began stealing to support his bad habits and using violence to get what he needed.
Keegan says he worked hard to live up to the nickname and showed no mercy to others. At a young age, he was sent to prison for attempted murder, and while in prison, he became involved in drug dealing. The downward spiral continued even after he was released. He spent a long time hanging around with the country’s most famous and biggest criminals and even worked for some of them. He also worked for Nigerians, recovering the drug lords’ money from addicts and did it violently.
Keegan says, “The turning point for me came in 2015. I was on the streets, and my health was rapidly deteriorating. I realised that I had lost control, and although I was raised in the Hindu faith, one day, when I had reached rock bottom, I called out to the Lord Jesus for help. I was homeless at the time and stayed with my brother from time to time. My brother told me about CYPSA restoration program of the KwaSizabantu Mission in KwaZulu-Natal. He had heard somewhere that the program was very successful. I didn’t know much about it, but saw no other way out.”
October 16, 2015, will always be an extraordinary day for Keegan. That day, his brother loaded him into his car and took him to the mission station. That day was the beginning of his new life, even though he was suffering from heroin withdrawal symptoms at the time.
“I had never experienced anything like this in my life,” says Keegan. “The respect and acceptance I received from strangers was unprecedented for me. These people did not know me, but welcomed and accepted me unconditionally. I do not know of another place where a person with an addiction is admitted to the recovery program so unconditionally and without any payment. When I asked how much it would cost, I was told that Jesus had already paid for me on the cross.”
Keegan now works at one of the mission’s agricultural projects in the pepper greenhouses, under the Emseni umbrella – one of the largest pepper producers in the country. It is now more than a decade later, and although there were days when it was extra challenging to stay on track, Keegan finally said goodbye to his old life. He works hard and has completed a diploma in food production. He is also now able to help care for his elderly mother. His true character comes to the fore when he discusses his work in the greenhouses. His face lights up, and his eyes tell untold stories of grace and purpose. And there is no sign of ‘Lucifer’.
(The Concerned Young People of South Africa (CYPSA) follows an intense, holistic recovery program based on Biblical principles. Participants must commit to the program, but it is free. The main goal is to equip them better to withstand life’s challenges.)
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Date published: 24/04/2025
Feature image: Supplied
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