Freshmen Skype with book author in South Africa
Alumni Hall was filled with freshmen, Fiat Lux mentors, faculty and staff members on Thursday, Nov. 10, for a Skype session with the author of the book read by all Fiat Lux students this year.
Each Waynesburg University freshman this fall is required to read “Empty Hands,” a memoir by a South African woman called Sister Abegail Ntleko.
Dr. Marie Leichliter-Krause, associate dean for first-year programs, said Ntleko embodies the three aspects of Waynesburg’s mission – faith, learning and service. As such, she was excited to create the opportunity for the freshmen to speak with Ntleko via Skype.
Ntleko overcame numerous obstacles throughout her life in South Africa, including poverty, sexism and racism, eventually becoming a nurse and a lay minister in addition to taking in dozens of children in orphanages over the years.
“The hard times and challenges have made me to persist because it improves the lives of children who are suffering,” said Ntleko.
In addition to starting orphanages and taking care of countless children orphaned by AIDS, Ntleko adopted more than 20 children throughout her life, and she still keeps in contact with many of them and with her grandchildren.
At a young age, Ntleko was told she could not get an education.
“[I was told,] ‘Girls who are educated run away from home and go to big cities,'” said Ntleko.
Determined, Ntleko started school anyway at the age of 14.
“The teacher didn’t want anything to do with me,” said Ntleko. “It didn’t worry me.”
She knew education would allow her to achieve her dream of helping her community.
“Education is the key to all doors in life,” she said.
Later in life, Ntleko eventually got her nursing certificate and began caring for people with HIV/AIDS and many other diseases while managing her adopted children at the same time.
Ntleko said, “there are not problems, there are challenges. They give me learning of some sort.”
Now, at the age of 82, Ntleko continues her outreach to her community. She began passing out food parcels to those in need a long time ago, and still does so and she is still active with her orphanages. She leans on her Christianity, which she developed even in a Zulu nation, to guide her.
“My faith made me to look up to my creator God to help me,” said Ntleko.
She has no regrets, despite never marrying. However, if she had a do-over, she said she might become a doctor or a “lady president.”
She told the students of Waynesburg that her greatest achievements in life have been to be educated, help her community, educate her children and “see [her children] be able to have wings to fly.”