Durban — Readers of the book Unsung Heroes have begun learning about those who played a pivotal role in shaping KwaZulu-Natal. It was launched on Saturday in Durban.
One of the conveners and former deputy mayor of eThekwini Municipality, Fawzia Peer, said the objective of this project was to honour by way of a written record the voluntary service rendered by persons through selfless dedication and commitment, and those not previously recognised.
The Unsung Heroes book was compiled by Peer , Dr Kogie Archary, Vishnu Naidoo and Lavan Gopaul. The primary objective of the book is to honour and celebrate the remarkable contributions and stories of everyday heroes from KZN. It is a non-profit initiative.
Peer said she felt the need to encourage an ongoing culture of devotion, dedication and service to others, by celebrating "unsung heroes“ simply because they went above and beyond to help build and shape their communities in their quiet way.
Peer highlighted that against this backdrop were many individuals providing the leadership, resilience, foresight, determination and perseverance to take their communities to new heights. The need for a written record was obvious.
“In my capacity as the former deputy mayor of the eThekwini Municipality, I made a similar observation. There are many who recognise a gap and fill it, those who are able to connect with the suffering of others in a way that propels them to do something about it, such that actual socio-economic impact is felt in communities, and they do this without the need to be recognised,” Said Peer.
The former deputy mayor said the reaction they received on their Unsung Heroes launch was overwhelming. The event was attended by more than 600 people:
“There was so much enthusiasm to meet the unsung heroes. The Unsung Heroes book will be followed by the next volume. A group of community leaders, in their own right, came together to acknowledge the many unsung heroes,” she said.
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