Honour for selfless heroes
Napdi hails retired teachers
THE unsung heroes and heroines whose unwavering dedication to the northern areas has seen them continuing to influence their community well after retiring took centre stage at the annual Napdi (Northern Areas People Development Initiative) Honouring Our Educators event.
The awards, hosted at the weekend, saw a large group of former and current education role players congregate at the Famhealth Centre in Gelvandale.
Now in its third year, the event aims to pay tribute to retired teachers who in some way are still involved in either their schools or serving in their community. The event is staged through the Northern Areas Alumni Network, operating under the auspices of Napdi.
Napdi trustee and coordinator of the event Nadia Domingo said it had been a special privilege for her to contribute to the honouring of these passionate educators.
“People like Mr [Mohammed] Hoosen and Mrs [Lizette] Nagan did not give up so much to educate next generations in the hope of one day being honoured. No, they prepared meticulous lessons, spent their days marking tests and examinations and travelled long distances by bus to support their learners at sporting events, without expecting anything in return,” Domingo said.
“While our recipients would prefer to continue, even after their formal retirement, to work without being made a fuss of, Napdi believes it is very important that their contributions be documented.”
The alumni network paid special tribute to Algernon Peters as well as Millicent du Plessis and Charmaine Constance from Bayview Primary. The trio have between them spent more than 100 years at the school.
The biggest applause of the afternoon was reserved for the first Napdi Special Education Award recipient Myrtle Magdalene Frost.
Frost, or “Aunty Myrtle” as she is affectionately known, was the first matriculant in a former non-white northern areas school who passed music at matric level in 1947 from Paterson High School.
Reverend Roxanne Jordaan said: “She [Frost] started her teaching career in 1948 and fulfilled a lifelong dream when she graduated with a degree in music from Wesley College in New York in 1982 aged 55.
“Ms Frost is still very active and can be seen playing the organ at St Mark & St John Anglican Church every Wednesday as well as at the North End Congregational Church.”
The other 10 retired teachers honoured included: Eugene Plaatjies – David Livingstone High School, Lucas Magas – Bethelsdorp High, Agmat Bagus - Gelvandale High, Shane Botha – Paterson High, Corinne Beck – St James High, Alwyn Leo – St Thomas High, Lizette Nagan – Chapman High, Colin Abrahams – Bertram High, David O’Reilly – Booysens Park High and Mohammed Haniff Hoosen – Woolhope High.