The reward of touching young lives
Former teacher Anne Fourie has left her mark on the youth she has taught
WITH a spring in her step and an infectious smile, former teacher Anne Fourie has inspired a great number of youths through her love for teaching.
Growing up in a family of six children, Fourie always had a love for teaching and pursued her passion when she began teaching at Underberg Primary School at the age of 21.
After travelling around Europe in the early 1970s, Fourie made her way to Durban where she taught at Glenashly Primary and the Open Air School for handicapped children.
While her main focus was solely on teaching, she quickly caught the attention of the man who would soon become her husband, Toby.
‘I was best friends with his sister at university, that’s how we met,’ said Fourie.
‘After meeting, he would catch the train to Durban every weekend to visit me.’
Toby worked at the Zululand Observer at the time and brought Anne to Empangeni after marrying her in July 1977.
Zululand
Her photographer husband quickly got her involved in the small community, as she would assist him with work-related functions in-between her duties at Empangeni Preparatory.
After her two sons were born, Anne put her love for teaching on hold as she became a stay-at-home mother for six years.
She returned to teaching in 1989 at the Zululand Remedial Centre. Following the sudden passing of her husband, she made her way back to Empangeni Preparatory before hanging up her boots last year.
With time on her side, Fourie now focuses on her other fond interests such as gardening, hiking and sewing.
But the love of teaching still lingers and she has now taken to teaching Sunday school and part-time lessons.
‘Seeing children progress who were challenged in some way has been especially rewarding for me,’ she said.
