MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR POOBAL GOVENDER OF ISIPINGO

“What we have once enjoyed, we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes part of us.”

(POOBAL GOVENDER, BABY, DOLLY AND THYNA DURING A TRIP TO CAPE TOWN). The official memorial service for our dear and loving cousin and elder – the late Poobal Govender – will be held on the evening of Thursday, June 23, between 7pm and 8pm at the family residence – 18 Ramdass Road, Isipingo. Family members, friends and neighbours are invited to attend the service. Mr Govender, 69, who passed away two weeks ago on June 9th 2016, will be remembered not only as a human being who worked tirelessly to promote the interests of his family, but also as a committed official and member of the greater Muniamma family. Born on October 30 1946, Poobal Govender - a third generation descendant of the greater Muniamma Family -grew up as a young man in the once pristine and beautiful village of Isipingo. While as a young boy he used to, with other members of his family, help out at the temple in Jooma Road. The temple officials used to ask him and his cousin to chase away the birds that preyed on the rice fields in the temple property. The birds used to feed on the flowers that flourished on the young rice trees. Poobal and his cousin used to disturb and chase away the birds by banging small tin cans. For their efforts they would receive a banana and apple at the end of their stint as their payment. Life was not easy at that time. After completing his early primary and secondary schooling, Poobal did odd jobs until he finally went into the construction business.

(POOBAL WITH FAMILY MEMBERS AT AN MSC GATHERING) He worked very hard to improve the quality of his life and to contribute to the Govender house-hold. Poobal married Dhanabaigium (Baby) of Port Shepstone in the early 1970s. Their marriage produced three children – Loshnie (or Nidhie), Vis and Dersan and four grand-children: Shenice (19), Nikayal (Nivashen) (11), Darshan (4) and Tae (3). Their daughters-in-laws are Loshnie and Michel and son-in-law. Poobal’s father – Mr Soobramoney Govender, who was known as Sooboo Mamha or Sooboo Uncle to all of us in the greater Muniamma Family – was one of 14 second generation children of Mr Coopoosamy Govender and his wife, Muniamma. Sooboo Mamha was one of eleven children who eventually survived to produce the more than 500 descendants who run into six generations today. Poobal himself was part of a large family of four sisters and three brothers. His siblings are: 1. Baby, 2. Karnagie, 3. Kesa, 4. Doolie, 5. Dickson and 6. Mogie. There are also scores of nephews and nieces and other generations of the Sooboo Govender family. In the mid-1980s, Poobal became an active and committed official and member of the Muniamma Social Club(MSC), which was established in memory of our ancestor, Mrs Muniamma Coopoosamy Govender.

(POOBAL AND BABY AT ONE OF THE MSC FUNCTIONS) Poobal was involved in all its activities and went the extra mile in arranging excursions of the family and promoting the true values and principles of our cultures, traditions, music and languages. In 2010, when the 150th anniversary of the arrival of our forefathers and mothers into the former Natal Colony as indentured labourers was observed, Poobal played a leading role in organising an event for the Muniamma Family at the Temple Hall in Jooma Road. Poobal’s commitment and contributions on behalf of the Sooboo Govender family to the Muniamma Social Club at large will live on for ever and ever. He will not be forgotten easily. The following quote by an American author, Helen Keller, fully describes the impact that Poobal had on all our lives: “What we have once enjoyed, we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes part of us.”