Karachi-based educationist Yolande Henderson passed away on Dec 5, leaving behind an indelible mark on the hearts
KARACHI: Renowned Karachi-based educationist Mrs Yolande Henderson passed away on December 5, leaving behind an indelible mark on the hearts of all those who knew her. For all of her students, this is a very personal loss. Mrs Henderson was 81 and taught English literature with the kind of dedication and energy you would be hard pressed to find in someone decades younger, but what set her apart from other teachers was not just that. She always seemed to have a special vested interest in all her students — she would call to wish us good luck before our exams, a small act that buoyed our confidence immeasurably. She would answer questions only tangentially related to our syllabus with unfailing good humour. Once I asked her something about which she was uncertain; she looked up the relevant information herself and then offered to lend me a reference book to help me the very next day, by which time I had already forgotten my question, but she had not. It was these small acts that made her such a great teacher — and such an established name amongst her peers.
The bewildering variety of poems she taught us so painstakingly did not inspire me much, but the memory of how, at such an old age, she was so disciplined and hardworking, always will. Her teaching was of a standard that merited much higher fees than she asked for, but she charged a nominal amount and put undue effort in critiquing our work. While her passing is a personal loss for her students, the blow is not just confined to us. This is a loss for the entire student community of Karachi. She was a mentor, a beloved teacher and moreover a wonderful human being. She will be missed greatly.
Amman Bari
Published in The Express Tribune, December 15th, 2015.
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