Teacher walks to raise pupils’ funds
Soaring after overcoming prejudice
A teacher whose school is on recess has used his holiday to raise funds for impoverished pupils.
Today was day 12 since Jayant Valab, 55, a teacher at St James Preparatory school, a private school in Joburg has been on the road, walking to Durban.
He aims to raise funds which would be used to pay fees for pupils whose parents were struggling financially.
Valab who teaches Sanskrit from Grade 0 to Grade 7, said he was always saddened when some pupils drop out of his school due to lack of finances.
“Our school is great because it focuses on the values of life, on spirituality. Pupils are taught about the scripture which is the root of education. However there are parents who are struggling financially, which results in some pupils having to leave the school and that’s what really prompted me to come up with this initiative,” said Valab.
Valab began preparation for the walk last year by exercising regularly and consulting his dietician.
Although he was walking alone, he had a support car with his family who guide him and provide much-needed rehydration. Valab was also walking with a pacemaker. He walks about 30km a day and he SUDHANA Singh’s desire to be true to herself drove her to write her first book, Kindness, Kale & Kettlebells.
The writer and life coach was born in South Africa. Race discrimination and the disintegration of her marriage compelled her to write her memoir. She said she hoped her book would provide a legacy for her daughters’ generation, to empower them to change their internal narrative.
Singh, 51, was born in Ladysmith, Kwazulu-natal and now lives in London. She emigrated in 2001 after she became a mother and felt South Africa was becoming an increasingly dangerous country in which to raise her daughter. She has three daughters, Uma, 19, Radha, 6, and Lavanya, 5.
“My book was released in June. It took me 10 weeks to write,” said Singh.
“The book details a part of my life when I got my dream job as a school principal, sleeps at friends’ houses on the way. “The walk has been great so far. My preparation helped, I am not tired or short of breath. My family and the school are supportive of me as well,” he said.
The walk began at his school in Joburg and he would be travelling through Newcastle until he reaches Durban by about September 30.
“I am asking people to donate as I walk. They can log onto the website Stjamesmarathonwalk. co.za.” remarried and was enjoying a wonderful married life. However, right from the start of my term at the school, I felt I was being treated differently from previous heads.
“In 2010, I sued my employer, Reading Borough Council, and the governing body for race discrimination, unlawful harassment and victimisation.
“The book chronicles the impact these events had on me and my family, and my fight to reclaim my life.”
Singh has fond memories of being raised in a close-knit community in Ladysmith and of people being kind and supportive.
The great-granddaughter of 1860 settlers, she said her parents raised her to be resilient and imbued her with self-belief.
“The warmth, love and laughter of South Africans and their smiles as big as Africa itself are what I miss most about home,” she said. “London, though, is vibrant and fills you with its pulsating energy.”
Since she shared intimate details of her struggle as an Indian woman principal, wife and mother in her book, the feedback she has received from men and women who’ve read it has led to her doing more life coaching, she said.
Singh gives leadership, business and performance coaching to executives.
She overcame depression thanks to the kindness she received from her support network.
Nets
“I call this support network my kale,” she said. “While kale is a super food that we eat, in my book it is also a metaphor for the super food of family, friendship and other humane nets that embrace us and help us get back up again.
“I sought professional help and I started training with kettlebells. I also dug deep and remembered my spirit soul. The spirit soul is that spark that exists in you and me, and will never be destroyed.
“Nothing and no one was going to destroy this essence within me. My advice to people with depression is to take the first step, discard the mantle of shame and seek professional help.
“The battle with depression is a terrifying one and can’t be fought alone. I went to my doctor, who did a referral to a psychiatrist and that was my first step.”
In the difficult times we face today with the economy at a low and people losing their jobs, Singh said it would be wise to always look on the bright side.
With the loss of a job comes the opportunity to reinvent yourself, she said. Skills are transferable; believe in yourself, your experience and talents and do something that feeds your passion.take enough time to grieve over your losses because this will help you gain acceptance.
“There is always a reason to fight our battles and overcome the losses. In my case, I gave my children life, but they gave me a reason to live,” she said.