After half a century of service to Louis Trichardt High School, Mr Jerry Risenga Baloyi retires at the end of the month, and definitely with mixed feelings.

"I will really miss the children. I love them very much and get along with them well. I spent more than half of my life at the high school," Jerry Baloyi said on September 18.

Three days prior, on September 15, he celebrated his 65th birthday.

"My father stayed on the farm of the headmaster, Mr SMN Brönn, at Elim near the Albasini. I started to work at the high school in 1957, on July 1." Mr Brönn was headmaster of Louis Trichardt High School from 1946 till 1964.

Jerry can still remember the time before the school hall and hostel halls were built.

"The school was very small. The children of the hostel had to go at night to the classrooms to study, even in the rain."

Jerry started as a cleaner and retires as head waiter at the hostel. In 1963, he received his official departmental appointment.

The financial and administrative officer of the school hostels, Ms Trudie Breytenbach, says she will always remember Jerry for his friendliness, helpfulness and good sense of humour.

"Jerry is fluent in Afrikaans. He knows every hostel child by name. And they love him …" says Ms Breytenbach.

Jerry also has six children of his own, three sons and three daughters. He and his wife, Bernicca, reside at Elim, Waterval, where his family will see a lot more of him when he retires at the end of September.