Community stalwarts celebrated at Mount Edgecombe Lifetime Achievement Awards
The Mount Edgecombe and Estates Community Association (MEECA) conferred the prestigious Lifetime Achievement and Legacy Award to Visvanathan Govender and Guru Sammandan Sarugaser respectively, last week.
They were honoured for their exceptional contribution to the lives of the Mount Edgecombe community and its surroundings, illuminating paths of hope in education, culture, religion, and various other fields.
Govender, the principal at Acacia Full Service School, has dedicated over 38 years to teaching, in which time he impacted the lives of many youngsters.
During the award ceremony, Dr Patchie Naicker, the chairperson of MEECA, hailed Govender's extraordinary dedication to the community, stating, 'His passion, ethics, and magnanimous effort did not go unnoticed, and his selfless legacy inspires others endlessly.'
The accolade was indicative of Govender's impact and influence on the community, and he expressed his appreciation in return.
Govender attributed much of his life's success to the foundational education he received at Natest Primary and Mount Edgecombe High, and paid tribute to his late parents, Glen and Neela, for instilling in him the importance of education.
'The values and traditions of our community have played a pivotal role in shaping who I am today,' he remarked.
Govender also received the Ammen Award for excellence in education in April 2023.
'To receive such an award in the presence of my staff, management, and learners affirms my life's philosophy. Work is worship and service to man is service to God,'' said Govender.
Sarugaser, also a respected figure in community, was acknowledged for his religious and cultural leadership abilities.
Hailing from a family rich in tradition, who advocated for the promotion of the Tamil language, his influence reverberated throughout Mount Edgecombe.
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Community stalwarts celebrated at Mount Edgecombe Lifetime Achievement Awards
From the left to right Dr. Patchie Naicker, Nelson, Govindsamy, Visvanathan Govender, Dr Dilip Biputh, and Alan Gounden The Mount Edgecombe and Estates Community Association (MEECA) conferred the prestigious Lifetime Achievement and Legacy Award to Visvanathan Govender and Guru Sammandan Sarugaser respectively, last week. They were honoured for their exceptional contribution to the lives of the Mount Edgecombe community and its surroundings, illuminating paths of hope in education, culture, religion, and various other fields. Govender, the principal at Acacia Full Service School, has dedicated over 38 years to teaching, in which time he impacted the lives of many youngsters. During the award ceremony, Dr Patchie Naicker, the chairperson of MEECA, hailed Govender's extraordinary dedication to the community, stating, 'His passion, ethics, and magnanimous effort did not go unnoticed, and his selfless legacy inspires others endlessly.' The accolade was indicative of Govender's impact and influence on the community, and he expressed his appreciation in return. Govender attributed much of his life's success to the foundational education he received at Natest Primary and Mount Edgecombe High, and paid tribute to his late parents, Glen and Neela, for instilling in him the importance of education. 'The values and traditions of our community have played a pivotal role in shaping who I am today,' he remarked. Govender also received the Ammen Award for excellence in education in April 2023. 'To receive such an award in the presence of my staff, management, and learners affirms my life's philosophy. Work is worship and service to man is service to God,'' said Govender. Sarugaser, also a respected figure in community, was acknowledged for his religious and cultural leadership abilities. Hailing from a family rich in tradition, who advocated for the promotion of the Tamil language, his influence reverberated throughout Mount Edgecombe. DAILY NEWS
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Mrs Adam could speak fluent Tamil. Before moving to Umhlatuzana in the early 1960s, she had lived in Hillary among people who spoke various Indian languages. Much like the great philanthropist Hajee Muluk-Mahomed Lappa Sultan (ML Sultan) who arrived in South Africa from South India and could speak flowing Tamil. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ In Robert Frost's poem, Mending Wall,'it is said: 'Good fences make good neighbours'. I say: 'No fences make better neighbours.' Frost's line is frequently used to justify building a fence and keeping neighbours at arm's length. But in fact, it is an indictment against our culture's collective failure to be hospitable and neighbourly. Social media has certainly exacerbated the problem, but it certainly isn't the root cause. In the 'good old days', before the advent of the notorious Group Areas Act uprooted settled communities in localities such as Seaview, Bellair, Hillary, Cato Manor, Riverside, Fynnland, Clairwood and Rossburgh, and relocated them into ghetto townships such as Chatsworth and Phoenix, there were no fences to keep families apart. There may have been a thorny edge between houses but this would have served more to keep fowls and dogs from straying than to create division between families. Long before neighbourhood watches became vogue owing to rising crime levels, neighbours looked out for each other, reporting suspicious activities, and collaborating with local law enforcement - that is, back in the days when there existed a system such as law enforcement. Over the years, as bank balances swelled owing to prosperous economic circumstances, the bond between neighbours has shrunk. Homes are now bigger, with smaller yards. Families have more cars and drive away more often, spending less time at home, and definitely less time in their yards. The local park where kids would play games such as three tins, hopscotch, marbles and spinning tops, and rode their bicycles, has now become a place to fear paedophiles and drug dealers. In days gone by, a new neighbour would be welcomed with a freshly baked cake, a bunch of flowers picked from the garden, some homegrown fruit or some other housewarming gift. Not anymore. Today neighbours eye the newcomer with suspicion and derision. Nowadays, you can go out of your way to be friends with your neighbours, but they seem to hold you back. They cannot understand why the new neighbour would tell them he or she is only a phone call away if they ever have any trouble or need any help. My neighbour forces himself not to look towards my house. It would appear he curses that day 30 years ago when I took occupation of the house next to his. It is as if he wanted this street in Westville to remain a whites-only precinct forever. Time was when bring-and-share street parties formed the social glue that kept neighbours together like one huge family, whilst building community spirit over food, fun and connection. Today neighbours call the police if someone throws a party too late or makes some other kind of noise, instead of just walking over themselves and inconspicuously complaining. Neighbours just come home, open the garage, let it close behind them, and go into the house without saying a single word. It seems that while we have become so sociable on-line, at the same time we have distanced ourselves from those so actually close to us who would loan a cup of sugar or jump-start a flat car battery. Why do neighbourhoods no longer pulse with strong communal ties. The real problem is with us and our failure to make an extra effort to be good neighbours. People are juggling work, family, and personal commitments, leaving little time for casual chats over the fence. With so many connections online, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTuber, face-to-face interaction has taken a backseat. As more people work from home since the minute Covid bug drastically rearranged lifestyles, they interact less with others in their physical neighbourhood. Instead of developing relationships, we build high walls so we never have to see our neighbours. Then we build a wall around our time and activities, and our hearts. It is time to realise that positive and healthy neighbour relationships lead to strong neighbourhoods. And strong neighbourhoods foster diverse relationships between people, irrespective their race, ethnicity, or nationality. They connect residents with opportunities, take advantage of neighbours' giftedness, and support children's growth. 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That third place is where community happens. The local pub, the senior citizens weekly meet, the braai around the neighbour's pool. Remember that the most important people, even over relatives, are our neighbours. Your son who has settled in the UK isn't going to drive you to Ethekwini Hospital and Heart Centre in the middle of the night. Your neighbours are. They are the first responders before any official help are the lifeblood of society. They are your extended family. Let them feel it. Yogin Devan Image: File Yogin Devan is a media consultant and social commentator. Reach him on: yogind@ ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media. THE POST
