Ladysmith KZN: Former Ladysmith teacher gets top international post
Ladysmith is very close to his heart; a town he speaks highly of, along with the people he has been friends with over the years
Dr Indran Naidoo, who is well-known in Ladysmith and across the world for his valuable work to evaluate hunger alleviation, has now moved from the United Nations (UN) to Rome to continue his work for the International Fund for Agriculture Development.
For Dr Naidoo, Ladysmith is very close to his heart; a town he speaks highly of, along with the people he has been friends with over the years. He followed in his father’s footsteps, the late Mr AC Naidoo, and started teaching at Cool Air Secondary School in Dalton in 1987, where he met (in his words) “an outstanding educationist” in the form of Mr AM Naidoo.
Then, in 1988, he began teaching at Ladysmith Secondary. Between 1991 and 1993, Indran left South Africa and moved to the USA, where he did a scholarship at West Virginia University. In 1995, he was appointed in the Mandela Administration as the country’s first Monitoring & Evaluation Director, where he served until 2000.
Thereafter, Indran was promoted to the Public Service Commission as Chief Director and Deputy Director General until 2012. He was then approached by the UN to join the New York Headquarters as Director of the Independent Evaluation Office until 2020, where he served an exciting and successful term.
Now he has taken up his new role at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) as Director of the Independent Office of Evaluation, with the office having a 177-country membership. With 25 years of experience in evaluation, he now serves as the Head of Evaluation at IFAD and will lead the international team to review programmes such as agricultural support, irrigation and capacity building.
He has five university degrees, including a Masters USA (distinction) and Doctorate from Wits. He also has executive courses from Oxford and Harvard University, and has published over 15 articles in books and journals.
Over the years, he has worked with over 160 governments and was the keynote speaker on over 50 occasions on all continents. Former Ladysmith Secondary (Lasec) principal Mr AN Govender also invited him to the school to give a talk to the learners. Indran would like to acknowledge the teachers at MC Varman, ML Sultan and Windsor Secondary in Ladysmith, where he matriculated in 1981. For him, his mentors are his former teachers and close friends, and he is truly grateful to Mr Gopie Reddy, Mr Majied Khan, Mr and Mrs Paul Gajadhur, his best childhood friend Mr Dawood Vawda, his close teaching friend Mrs Veni Govender, Mr AN Govender, Mr Gary Ramdheen, and Mr Shaiel Singh. His oldest and closest friend of Ladysmith was the late Mr Jay Sewgoolam, whom Indran describes as a brother.
According to Mr AN Govender, “Dr Naidoo has most definitely set the gold standard for Independent Evaluation at the United Nations. As a specialist and expert in the field, it is no surprise that yet another international institution was quick to appoint him as Head of Evaluation. Despite Dr Naidoo’s global stature, he never forgot ‘local’. His fondness for his hometown, Ladysmith, and its people is encouraging. On many of his visits to the school, he would spend time with both learners and educators, and offered many lectures, assembly addresses and even the teaching of English. May the achievements of Dr Naidoo be an inspiration to our youth… South African nationals are making their mark on the international stage!”
Gary Ramdheen said that Indran’s achievements are such an honour for not only Ladysmith but the entire country – and he has massive support from Ladysmith. “He is a true ambassador for South Africa.” Gary hopes to go to Rome in the future and visit him ‘that side’.
Well done, Dr Indran Naidoo, on your great achievements – Ladysmith wishes you its best in the future
