The life and legacy of Pathmavathie Krishnavani Gounden: a beacon of culture and service

INSPIRED by her love for the Tamil language and culture, as well as children, Pathmavathie Krishnavani Gounden shared the beauty of it with others in her community and later through the education system, spanning more than three decades.

- NADIA KHAN

In addition, she made it her duty to uplift the lives of others, especially children, through the organisations she founded over the years.

The 86-year-old, of Victoria Embankment in Durban, was among 46 people honoured in the Unsung Heroes Publication Board's volume three of its book series, The Unsung Heroes.

The book is aimed at honouring individuals who have transformed lives without seeking recognition or reward.

She spoke to the POST about her journey, which began while growing up in a close-knit community in Pinetown.

Early days

Gounden, the third born of five children, was born on April 21, 1939. Her paternal and maternal grandparents hailed from India.

"I did not meet my father's parents, but I met my mother's parents who came from a village in Narasinga Puram, Arkadu, in South India.

"I later visited my grandfather's home and met my relatives. It was a beautiful experience. During one of my trips, I brought back some soil from under my grandfather's bed. This was so that my mother could keep a memory of her father."

Gounden lived with her parents, siblings and cousin.

"My father, Vadivelu Govender, initially worked as a long-distance truck driver. He later started his own trucking company and opened a supermarket. My mother, Parvathie, was a businesswoman, who bid for and resold furniture at auctions at a significant profit. Then there were my siblings and cousin. She lived with us after her mother, my mother's sister, died.

"My father, who was my everything, was known as 'a man of all trades'. He was not only an astute businessman, but a musician and playwright.

"At 9 months old, I featured in a play that he wrote, directed and staged at the old Empire Cinema in Pinetown.

"Although my mother did not have a formal education, she was quite intelligent. She used her earnings to supplement my father's income."