Ken Rajoo - a symbol of social welfare in Verulam

By Marimuthu Subramoney
(aka Subry Govender)

"I am a South African, not an Indian South African."
This is the value by which a prominent social leader of Verulam, who has served the Verulam Child and Welfare Society for the past 37 years, lives his life.
Mr Ken Rajoo, 73, a former educator and school principal, has been serving the Society in various capacities since 1974.
"I am of the firm view that although we are of Indian origin we are South Africans and as such we have to play our full role in the development of our country," Mr Rajoo told Makhulu News in an interview at the offices of the Society in Verulam recently.
"In the early days the Society, which was started in 1933, mainly concentrated on assisting people of Indian origin to overcome many social and economic problems.
"But today, since the establishment of our new democracy, most of our clients are black African people. Our services have changed fundamentally and we are dealing with issues such as HIV-AIDs and other social problems."
Mr Rajoo has not only been with the Society for more than three-and-half decades but has also been its president for 23 consecutive years from 1980 to 2003. Thereafter, he has served as vice-president and currently is a Patron and executive member.
One of his innovations was the popular Verulam Charity Fair, which he pioneered in 1986 in order to raise the much-needed funds for the Society.
Mr Rajoo's entry into the world of social welfare has its roots in the Mount Edgecombe Sugar estate barracks where he was born in March 1938. As a young boy he became aware of the suffering endured by the sugar estate workers and the conditions under which the workers lived in the barracks.
In 1948 when he was 10-years-old his parents moved to Verulam and during most of his teenage life they stayed in central Verulam.
After completing his matriculation at the Verulam Indian High School in 1956, Mr Rajoo attended the Springfield Teachers Training College where he obtained his teachers diploma in 1958. His first posting as a teacher was at the Jhugroo Government Aided Indian School in Ottawa where he taught for five years.
He, thereafter, taught at Verulam High and various schools in Laudium, Pretoria; Chatsworth, Phoenix and Verulam. After acting as principal at the Shree Gopallal Temple School in Verulam in 1980, he received his first posting as principal at the Madhosingh Memorial School in Verulam in 1981. He was then in 1982 appointed principal at the Everest Heights Primary School in Verulam where he remained until he was boarded on medical grounds in February 1994 after being an educationist for 36 years.
While being a teacher and principlal, Mr Rajoo at the same time played an active role in social, community, religious, educational and sporting organisations.
Besides the Verulam Child and Welfare Society, which he joined at the age of 36, Mr Rajoo also served the Verulam High Ex-Students Bursary Trust Fund as chairman; the Sri Siva Subramaniar Alayam of Umdhloti Drift; FOSA, Verulam Clinic Board, Verulam and Districts Senior Citizens Committee, Verulam Day and Frail Care Centre, Verulam Football Club and the Verulam Suburbs FC.
Mr Rajoo said before he joined the Society in 1974 he was inspired by the pioneers who mooted and served the organisation in the early years. They included the Mr Y S Chinsamy, Mr D V Moodley, Mr A L Narayadu, and Mr Joe Stephens who are now all late.
He said over the past 37 years he has served with a number of dedicated citizens of Verulam. They include, among others, the late Mr A K Singh (a former school principal and education chief during the days of the SAIC), Mr A N M Khan, Mr I Phlad, the late Mr R L Beharee, the late Mr C P Naidoo, Mrs K Nandhan, Mr B. Bhaba and Mrs R. Joseph.
Mr Rajoo said the Verulam Charity Fair, which was now the main source of income for the Society, had become a major attraction primarily because of the work of a number of people.
"For several decades the Society relied on donations and contributions by members of the community," he said.
"But this did not really meet our expenses. In 1986 we took a decision to hold a Charity Fair in order to raise funds. This fair has now become our main source of income. Without this Fair, we will not be able to meet all our expenses."
Mr Rajoo is married to Indira Devi, who has been an active member of the Society for the past 28 years. They have two adult children, Ravin and Sharendra.
For his invaluable service to the community, Mr Rajoo has been bestowed with a number of awards. They include two awards by the Verulam Child and Family Welfare for his dedicated service to the organisation. One award was presented on the 75th anniversary of the Society in 2008. He also received an award along with nine other Verulam members from Child Welfare South Africa for serving the movement for more than 25 years.
Mr Rajoo, who is at his desk at the society on a daily basis, is of the view that the quality of people who have served and still serve the Society and other community organisations would be difficult to replace in years to come.
"The young people of today are showing no interest whatsoever in social and community work," he said.
"I don't know what is going to happen once the committed people of today are not around."
He was also concerned about current situation in the educational and other fields in the new South Africa.
"When we were teachers the children had a great deal of respect for their elders and educators. But today there seems to be a breakdown in values.
"Then we have a deterioration in health and education standards and it's the poor and the disadvantaged who are still being marginalised. What we had hoped for in 1994 is not being delivered to the vast masses of the people.
"I am also very concerned about the extent to which corruption has eroded our government departments and the high unemployment rate is very worrying."
Despite the negative developments in many areas of life, Mr Rajoo is firm of the view that South Africans must rally together to help the poor, disadvantaged and marginalised to lead a "better life".
Mr Rajoo's motivation in the social welfare field is based on the life of an American sociologist, David Biggs, who once said:
"Money can't buy you happiness, but it can certainly allow you to look for it in the best places."