One man's remarkable journey to find inner peace
2010-09-09
Faadiel Essop
HIS cheerful and charming demeanor is infectious and instantly attracts one to him. “Please remember I am not trying to blow my own trumpet, I am just a normal person trying to make a small difference,’’ says Nazier Anderson. His doting wife, Salega, reassures him that he should relax and trust his instincts. I learnt that he was born in 1952 (to parents “Kippy’’ and Lydia Anderson) in the Ou Tuin next to the Breda Street mosque. A few years later, his family moved to Paarl East where he initially attended the Dutch Reformed Church’s Memorial School and later Paulus Joubert High. However, due to financial constraints he quit school at a relatively young age to work at Berg River Textiles. “You know, events conspired to eventually bring my heart to ease,’’ he reflected. The plot unfolds. He quit his job to work in Gauteng. Although he earned a good salary, he found greater satisfaction by his interactions with different kinds of people. For example, he remembers interesting discussions with his room-mates about the meaning of life and different belief systems. However, his inner restlessness did not abate and during this time Nazier felt a compelling urge to return back to Paarl, sure that this would provide him with the clarity he sought. Unfortunately, while driving home he lost control of his vehicle. It rolled and Nazier broke his back in two places. He would never walk again. He faced tremendous challenges, although these events also played a key role in shaping his future outlook on life. The young Nazier spent four difficult months in the Welkom Provincial Hospital before returning to the Western Cape where he was successfully rehabilitated. These experiences instilled in him the value of people helping and caring for each other. In fact, he adopted the motto of “help people when you can, or if not, then find someone able to do so’’. He subsequently became deeply religious although he was still unable to quell his inner doubts and thus continued his search for the “missing link’’ in his life. Here his friendship with his current wife, Salega (nee Marthinus), proved vital. Nazier recollects how he once witnessed Salega and her family performing the maghrib prayer at sunset, where he was struck by the dignified manner in which this ritual was practiced. He shortly thereafter embraced Islam and married Salega. “I at last found inner peace and answered the ‘call’ I experienced from a relatively young age,’’ he reflects. There is no doubt that Nazier is living his life in line with his motto to help others, with his home the proverbial “welfare hub’’ in the Lantana region in Paarl East. Huge pots of soup are cooked here twice a week and distributed (with bread) to the poor and needy within the area. The South African National Zakah Fund is a primary funder of his welfare activities together with generous donations from the community. “We feed all poor people, irrespective of religious background,’’ he mentions. The dynamic husband-and-wife duo is well connected to the community and thus able to rapidly identify and respond to those in need. Furthermore, on occasions they assist with funeral arrangements and organise painting classes for the community. Despite being in a wheelchair, Nazier possesses a great sense of humor and displays a remarkably positive outlook on life. I found this inspirational. He left me with a final comment: “Yes, I lost the use of both my legs, but in return I discovered gold.” Asked to clarify, he explained that his quest for the deeper meaning to life and his love for people converged when he accepted the Islamic faith. I left his home with a warm and pleasant feeling, knowing that here is an individual who has found inner peace and who successfully channeled this energy to make his surroundings a better place.
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