Mayor Chamda,
Justice Goldstone,
Cassim Peer Trust
The following letters of support were received during the planning stages of the project in 2000.
From: Mayor Y. Chamda
Mayor – Metro Vaal, Gauteng, South Africa
To: Faculty and Administrators – Punahou School
October 2000
Dear Educators
Allow me to briefly introduce myself to you. My name is Yunus Chamda, and I am currently the
Mayor of the Vaal Region and I represent the African National Congress. This region of 1,2 million people,
is located South of Johannesburg and is built around the steel industry. This industry has been declining for
several years and the unemployment levels are amongst the highest in the country. Before being deployed in
government (with the coming of democracy in 1994), I was in education and taught History and Art for 13
years. It remains my view, that South Africa cannot be meaningfully transformed unless we make huge
improvements in the education and economic spheres. I have lobbied these priorities successfully with
several ministers and with ex-President Mandela. Every successful project in education that has been
established has taken our struggle forward.I have been truly fortunate to have had excellent partners in
these projects, none more competent and dedicated than your own Mr. Yunus Peer. We have had some
communications about a project which would be based on the following:
VISION OF THE PROJECT
There have been many tools of oppression that have kept the black majority of South Africans
marginalised. None have been more effective than the inequities of spending on education. To perpetuate
this system, the apartheid government ensured that teachers in the African communities taught at the
lowest possible standards. The failure to promote Mathematics amongst the African people, ensured that
generations would be condemned to being servants and labourers. Without the language of science and
technology, the minority government hoped to keep applied and natural sciences careers away from African
people. It is therefore clear, that an improvement in the teaching of mathematics, would yield a massive
return in addressing the legacy of the past. A private-public partnership (such as Punahou-Vaal) could change
the lives and future prospects of hundreds of young, marginalised, South Africans. Punahou can make a
difference.
WHY TEACHER IMPROVEMENT
It would be impossible to reach millions of school-going children with enrichment programmes, but
for every teacher upgraded, 100-150 children could be reached. Within a few years these young people would
build a culture of technical expertise that would give them access to the broad field of job opportunities
that exist in the modern world. The upgrading of teachers would yield the best improvement for every
dollar spent.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS?
As with life in every part of the world, no absolute guarantees can begiven. Yet a few simple rules would
ensure reasonable safety of personnel participating in this programme. Some of these would include:
a.. locating the training centres outside of the townships. In the Vaal we have proposed the use of the
Vaal Triangle Technikon, which is on the periphery of Sharpeville. 10,000 students and over a thousand staff
(majority white) work there daily without any incidents for several years now.
b.. avoiding high risk areas at all times
c.. ensuring that a knowledgeable local guide is present during travelling, sight-seeing etc.
d.. good planning of schedules etc.
WHO WILL ASSIST WITH LOGISTICS
The following groups would partner in all the arrangements to assist with transport accommodation etc:
a.. The Lekoa-Vaal Council and the office of the Mayor in particular- will provide transport, office space,
telephone fax and e-mail facilities and facilitate accommodation and flight arrangements.
b.. The Education Districts within the Vaal- will link
with the educators, provide curriculum details and locate the project within a formally recognised context.
c.. The Vaal Triangle Technikon – the department of Community Services will provide lecture rooms and
teaching equipment
d.. A support group of Math teachers who would oversee the project-would oversee the overall project from a
content and progress point of view.
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF SUCCESS
For educators such as Mr. Yunus Peer this is not unchartered territory. Mr Peer has successfully
completed several scholarships from within the region. He has a formidable knowledge of the area and a strong
network of contacts to realise the objectives of the project. With adequate planning and preparation, there are no
reasons to doubt the chances of success for the project. This would be a social conscience reaching across the globe.
CONCLUSION
I remain available at all times to answer any questions that you may have. This project enjoys the support of
my Office as well as that of the Department of Education.
Thanking you
Mayor Yunus Chamda
Attachment #2:
From: “Goldstone R ,Justice of the CCT”
To: “‘scott@punahou.edu'” <scott@punahou.edu>
Cc: “‘ypeer@punahou.edu'” <ypeer@punahou.edu>
Subject: South African program
Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2000 10:14:38 +0200
Dear President Scott,
Yunus Peer and I have remained in touch ever since we met during my memorable visit to Punahou.
He has just sent me details of his proposal for a Punahou-South African endeavour regarding mathematics
teachers. I have carefully reviewed the proposal and would add my own strong support for it. It is highly
relevant and would play a significant role in the upgrading of teachers. The terrible legacy of the apartheid
system is perhaps more apparent in the field of education than in any other area of our society. Adequate
education for all of our children is the only sure route to a healthy society in the future.
Sincerely,
Richard Goldstone
Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa.
Attachment # 3.
Cassim Peer Will Trust
P O Box 1515 PORT SHEPSTONE
4240 South Africa Tel: 027-3969-50492
Punahou School
1601 Punahou Street
HONOLULU,
HI 96822 USA
18 April 2001
Dear Dr Scott, Ms Anderson and the Punahou Faculty,
On behalf of the Peer Family I welcome the opportunity to cosponsor the Punahou-South Africa
Math Project scheduled for June and July 2001. I have read the details of the project and applaud
Punahou School for reaching across the globe for such a humanitarian gesture.
The experience should have a positive impact on the lives of your teachers and ultimately on the
lives of your students. As my brother Yunus has pledged, family and friends here will provide
accommodation, meals and travel when and where possible for the teachers. As you may know,
the Peer family legacy of involvement in education was built by my late father, Cassim Peer,
who devoted his life’s work to promoting education in the disenfranchised population of the country.
Together with a twenty-six year presidency and a 50-year membership in the Port Shepstone
Child Welfare Society, he was involved in a multitude of civic projects that sought to uplift citizens
of the community. In the late 1970’s he built the local Inkonka School with funds raised nationally.
This was at a time when “non-white” education was largely ignored. He received no support from
the government for his efforts. Since his passing in 1997, the Cassim Peer Will Trust continues to
direct funds to educational institutions in South Africa. Most recently, our family and friends have
had the pleasure of hosting administrators from Proctor Academy, Yunus’ former school in Andover,
New Hampshire. On behalf of my mother Ameena, and the Cassim Peer Will Trust, I look forward
to the arrival of the math teachers from Hawaii.
My father would have been proud to be associated with projects such as yours.
Best Wishes,
AKC PEER Trustee –
Cassim Peer Will Trust