"Every good act is charity. A man's true wealth hereafter is the good that he does in this world to his fellows". Prophet Mohammed (PBUH)

When House of Peace was first published, Nazia Peer decided to donate the profits from the sale of the book to a charitable cause. With such a large number of worthy causes in South Africa, choosing a beneficiary was not easy.

South Africa is one of those curious countries where the first world and the third world live side by side. So, not surprisingly, Chesterville, a black township, occurs less 5km from one of South Africa's most affluent suburbs, Westville. In 2002, Nazia was introduced, through her mother, to the Christopher Nxumalo Junior School.

The school, which was established in 1957, has about 450 learners and only 11 teachers. Like many other schools around South Africa, many of the learners at Chritopher Nxumalo struggle to pay their annual school fees. The choice as to who to benefit therefore became straightforward – she decided to donate the proceeds to a cause which would keep on seeing returns and at the same time literally giving meaning to the adage that “charity begins at home”. The result is that for every R100 raised by Nazia, she can pay for a year's schooling for a learner at Christopher Nxumalo.

In October 2006, Nazia decided to form the HoP Foundation, a registered non-profit organisation, which she will use as a formal vehicle to raise funds, through the sale of her book, to develop libraries working alongside international non-profit organisations.

To find out more or to make a contribution, please contact the HoP Foundation by sending an e-mail to hopfoundation@naziapeer.co.za