The role of a teacher is both significant and valuable, and Welham has always been blessed with a wealth of dedicated and committed teachers, who believed in the School... its ideologies and most of all in us, the girls, who passed through their care. They taught us by example and we grew in confidence and maturity within the comfort of the care they bestowed upon us.

The We-Care initiative was set up two years ago by the WGAA, in a bid to assist our ex-teachers and class IV employees. The idea was to give them a funding cushion that could supplement their existing pensions and help them improve their quality of life. Since we had limited funds, we agreed to provide this on a ‘need’ basis rather than ‘across the board’.

Till recently, we were sending a monthly supplementary allowance to five teachers, with the understanding that this would continue through their lifetime. Sadly, one of them - Mrs. Baig, who used to work at the school hospital in our time, passed away.

This year we hope to be able to extend our ‘care’ to some of the old class IV employees. However there is some necessary paper work to be cleared before that. In keeping with the school motto, we also hope to be able to provide funds for the education of some ‘girl-children’.

One behalf of the WGAA and the We-Care team, I’d like to thank each and every one of you who has very generously donated to the corpus that is slowly but steadily building up. The Batch of 1984 that had their 25th year re-union last year, has contributed a large sum of money to the fund. Kudos to them! But my thanks is very small compared to the joy that lights up the faces of those who know they’ve been remembered, appreciated and acknowledged. That is truly the biggest thanks!

We have put aside a certain sum into fixed deposits so that we can earn interest on it along side. However, we can do with all that we can get. It’s probably time to reiterate once more that many of the teachers of yore, who contributed so richly to our lives and are still remembered fondly by batches from the remote 60s and 70s, are not as fortunate as we would like them to be; some live in penury and others just about get by.

While it’s wonderful that we remember them fondly, it is not enough – we need to put those thoughts into action – and the only action is to contribute. Every little bit counts and every donation will make a difference.

The batch of ’84 has set the ball rolling – it’s time for the rest of us to catch that ball and keep it moving along we urge all of you to send any amount that you are comfortable with because every penny will go a long way.

We can only hope that the School will continue to be as fortunate in those that will guide the future of young Welhamites the way we were lucky to have been guided by all our mentors. May the legacy our teachers left behind continue to steer the School and its girls to greater heights!