A friend’s special request to do a painting for a hospital’s oncology department brought Esmarelda back to her “Why”. Why she started the WAS Foundation, why showing up can make the most difference and why kindness brings light where it is needed most.
Krugersdorp West, South Africa (21 January 2026) – Every now and then, amid the routines and to-do lists of daily life, a moment arises that compels us to pause and reflect on the journey we’ve taken and why we started it in the first place.
Esmarelda Van Zyl-Kilian’s gentle pause occurred while she was painting a canvas, a task a dear friend of hers, undergoing chemotherapy, had kindly asked her to do for the hospital’s oncology department.
While painting with her daughter, that quiet moment and the brushstrokes transported her down memory lane, recalling all the losses and the gift of friendship she’s experienced.
“With each stroke I remembered precious family members I’ve lost. I was there for my best friend 18 years ago, lying next to her on the floor after chemo to be there, I have amazing friends I’m praying for who are currently going through chemo, my hands are full of paint, and my heart is full of reflection,” Esmarelda shared in a post.
Painting the canvas for a department that many enter with varying degrees of hope and inspiring courage made her realise how many of us are simply trying to cope – whether through medical treatments, financial difficulties, new school schedules, work commitments, or chasing after children. Life is always moving far too quickly.
“And in the midst of all this, we sometimes lose perspective. Well, I did,” Esmarelda admits.
“We don’t need money or big resources to make a difference. We just need to show up. We need to be kind and considerate. We need to be there in any way we can, not just for others but for ourselves.”
It’s this very reflection that reminded her why she founded the WAS Foundation, that it was not just to provide food for the less fortunate, but to offer hope and serve others.
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Sharing her reflection online, Esmarelda hopes it will remind others, just as it did her, to always choose kindness and to remember that even the smallest acts – like doing a painting to uplift brave warriors or checking in on a loved one – can bring light where it’s most needed.
To spread goodness or small acts of kindness through the WAS Foundation, feel free to email Esmarelda at [email protected].
Sources: WAS Foundation
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