KZN teacher who helped establish rural schools turns 100

KZN teacher who helped establish rural schools turns 100. The Post NewsKZN teacher who helped establish rural schools turns 100A childhood shaped by hardshipNadia Khan|Published 20 minutes agoAsk AI 5minWith his family including some of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, at his 100th birthday celebration.

What happened

Retired principal Veerasamy Appiah Rama, who helped establish schools in rural KwaZulu-Natal and Durban, has celebrated his 100th birthday with family and friends. Image: SuppliedOver the years, Rama served as a teacher, vice principal, and principal at schools on the South Coast. With no schools in Beneva at the time, Rama walked to Esperanza Government-Aided Indian School, a 14km roundtrip. After completing Standard 8 (Grade 10), Rama decided to find a job and returned to Beneva, where he worked as a volunteer teacher at Esperanza Government-Aided Indian School.

“After a few months, a vacancy became available, and I was appointed a teacher earning one pound a month. ”Rama said he remained concerned about the long distance children had to walk from Beneva to Esperanza, and felt he needed to do something. Many of my former pupils achieved success in their careers, which makes me proud. ” While teaching, Rama completed matric and a teacher's diploma, and thereafter his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education degrees part-time via the University of South Africa.

They had two children, Don Rama, 72, a retired school principal and author; and Kumarie Naidoo, 66, a retired teacher.

The wider picture

Image: SuppliedHe has travelled extensively with his friend Poobie Naicker, a teacher, to 52 cities around the globe in 1982; and with Parvathee, their family and friends, he has been to the Okavango Swamps and the Amazon Forest, as well as countries including Japan, China and Fiji. Rama, of the Bluff, celebrated his milestone birthday on August 17, surrounded by family and friends at a party honouring him at the Bluff Eco Park. His journey, from humble beginnings, is a testament to resilience and dedication.

Rama was born in 1926 to indentured parents and grew up on a sugar estate in Beneva, on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal. As a child, he worked in his family’s vegetable gardens on the estate and was later instrumental in building the first school in the area. Rama, the fourth-born of seven children, said his parents came to South Africa from a village in Srikakulam, India. His dad, Rama Appiah, was a labourer before being appointed as a sirdar (foreman), and his mother, Muniamma, was a housewife.

“We lived a simple life, but everyone was hardworking, even the children.

What has been reported

I spent a lot of time gardening by helping my parents plant and harvest, or playing football with other children. However, life changed after my mother passed away when I was nine. “My elder sister, who was 12, and I took care of our younger siblings, who were aged six, three, and six months. Our elder brother was married and left home, while the other elder brother passed away. Our father worked long hours, so we had that responsibility.

It was difficult without our mother,” said Rama. Veerasamy Appiah Rama celebrated his 100th birthday. He proudly stands beside a portrait done by a pupil while he was principal at Protea Secondary School.

What happens next

Image: SuppliedRama at his graduation with his Bachelor of Arts degree. Image: SuppliedHe said his dad was progressive and emphasised the importance of education. He completed Standard 6 (Grade 8) and thereafter attended Sastri College. His cousin’s father-in-law was a principal, and his sons attended Sastri College. Seeing how well Rama did in school, arrangements were made for him to attend the same school. Now living with his cousin’s family in Clairwood, Rama travelled by train to Berea Station and then walked to Sastri College in Winterton Walk, Musgrave.

“Even though I was only about 17 at the time, I told my father that we should try to get a school built in Beneva.