When Prakash asked me to read his book, When the Chalk is Down”, I felt very special and privileged as he had spoken to me about it on a few occasions. I received it on a Thursday, read it till 02:00, decided I had to go to school the following day, put it down reluctantly, but made sure I finished it the following evening.

I cried and laughed through it- most of the people and some of the events are familiar to me. It’s painful to know that Nana & Nani never got to know that the house was theirs- but Prakash, you have secured it for Bhai, which is just as important.

As I read and cried (we women do this often), my mind went back a few years when my mind was in turmoil and when I was emotionally stressed at school and felt harassed by a few members of staff (some who were branch union members). Although I knew I was right, I felt I was trying to bring down the Great Wall of China, and that people were deliberately trying to confuse me by quoting incorrectly.

To add to my worries, I was advised one day that the staff had set up a team, in my absence, to investigate something I had said regarding the SGB and the report back from the meeting. Confused, desperate and alarmed- and not wanting to go to union (you know this protocol issue), I turned to someone who was an educator, a simple person, who would understand simple words to assist a simple and forthright (maybe blunt) person.

Prakash listened to me, pacified me, assured me that this was a simple matter that could be resolved as he could gauge I was not out of order. I will not go into details, save to say that he was right, but some of the things that I learned from him are invaluable and would like to share, though they may sound too elementary to some. These are:-
Not to cry- it just doesn’t help- relax.
To read correspondence carefully and address the issue at hand- don’t focus on words that are used deliberately to intimidate you.
To listen attentively.
To check on authenticity, if Acts are quoted.
To be professional- separate issues and not to allow issues to interfere with work.
To speak your mind confidently, speak the truth openly and bravely.

Prakash you are the best, God bless you and may you grow from strength to strength.
Sushiladevi R Naidoo

When Prakash asked me to read his book, When the Chalk is Down”, I felt very special and privileged as he had spoken to me about it on a few occasions. I received it on a Thursday, read it till 02:00, decided I had to go to school the following day, put it down reluctantly, but made sure I finished it the following evening.

I cried and laughed through it- most of the people and some of the events are familiar to me. It’s painful to know that Nana & Nani never got to know that the house was theirs- but Prakash, you have secured it for Bhai, which is just as important.

As I read and cried (we women do this often), my mind went back a few years when my mind was in turmoil and when I was emotionally stressed at school and felt harassed by a few members of staff (some who were branch union members). Although I knew I was right, I felt I was trying to bring down the Great Wall of China, and that people were deliberately trying to confuse me by quoting incorrectly.

To add to my worries, I was advised one day that the staff had set up a team, in my absence, to investigate something I had said regarding the SGB and the report back from the meeting. Confused, desperate and alarmed- and not wanting to go to union (you know this protocol issue), I turned to someone who was an educator, a simple person, who would understand simple words to assist a simple and forthright (maybe blunt) person.

Prakash listened to me, pacified me, assured me that this was a simple matter that could be resolved as he could gauge I was not out of order. I will not go into details, save to say that he was right, but some of the things that I learned from him are invaluable and would like to share, though they may sound too elementary to some. These are:-
Not to cry- it just doesn’t help- relax.
To read correspondence carefully and address the issue at hand- don’t focus on words that are used deliberately to intimidate you.
To listen attentively.
To check on authenticity, if Acts are quoted.
To be professional- separate issues and not to allow issues to interfere with work.
To speak your mind confidently, speak the truth openly and bravely.

Prakash you are the best, God bless you and may you grow from strength to strength.