OVERCOMING ADVERSITY: UFS GRATUATES TRANSFORMING PAIN INTO PURPOSE

Nokulunga Ludidi

By: Neo Ntsele

Demonstrating incredible human resilience, two University of the Free State (UFS) graduates have overcome significant health challenges to achieve academic excellence, illustrating that determination, faith, and support can guide one through the darkest periods.

On Friday, 17 April 2026, Nokulunga Ludidi and Dr Tobias Ndlovu proudly stood among their peers at the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences’ April graduation ceremony, their achievements made even more remarkable by the battles they faced behind the scenes. Their journeys are not just tales of academic success but also of courage, perseverance, and an unwavering will to persevere.

Ludidi’s journey has been characterised by profound uncertainty and strength.

Diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) in 2014, and more recently multiple sclerosis (MS), she persevered and graduated with an MSc in Integrated Water Management.

Dr Ndlovu earned a PhD in Disaster Management.

“When the doctor said I had leukaemia, I cried. It was bad. Returning home, I withdrew completely. I just sat there waiting for my death … and it never happened. On the fourth day, a quiet but powerful shift occurred. I told myself, ‘I’m still here. It means I’m not going to die,” said Ludidi.

That simple realisation became the foundation of her resilience.

Ludidi focused on a single principle: keep going. “If I wake up, I must do something.”

Through treatments, financial strain, and emotional exhaustion, she held onto that mindset. After nearly a decade away from studying, encouragement from a friend led her back to academia.

In 2021, while still undergoing treatment, she enrolled for a Postgraduate Diploma in Integrated Water Management at UFS.

The transition was not easy.

“After 10 years of not studying, I realised that a lot had changed,” she says.

Yet, with time, she found clarity and purpose.

By 2023, she had progressed to an MSc in Integrated Water Management.

But just as the finish line came into view, her health declined again.

She began to lose balance and struggled to walk.

In December, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

Overwhelmed, she reached a breaking point.

“I told my supervisor, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ I had already given up.”

What carried her through was not perfection or certainty – but faith.

“What kept me going … is God”. I am nothing without God. I talk to Him like He’s right next to me,” she noted.

She also credits her supervisor, Dr Nicolette Vermaak, whose unwavering support became an anchor during her most difficult moments.

“She was the pillar of everything … I couldn’t have done it without her.”

Today, Ludidi stands as a graduate – her success not defined by the absence of struggle, but by her decision to continue despite it.

Dr Tobias Ndlovu

Dr Ndlovu’s journey tells a similarly powerful story of endurance and adaptation.

In 2025, during the final stretch of his PhD in Disaster Management, he suffered a stroke that affected the mobility of his left arm and leg.

At the time, he was in the critical phase of revising academic articles and finalizing his doctoral work.

Faced with physical limitations, he made a choice: adjust and persist.

Using limited movement, he continued typing – slowly responding to reviewers’ comments and completing revisions.

What began as a necessity soon became part of his rehabilitation.

“Frequent use of my affected hand in typing became an integral part of my physical therapy. “With each keystroke, my hand gradually regained strength and fine motor skills much faster than expected,” he explained.

In time, he completed his revisions and published both articles, ultimately earning his PhD.

For Dr Ndlovu, the achievement carries deep personal meaning.

As the first in his family to reach this level of education, his doctorate represents more than a qualification – it is a symbol of possibility.

“For me, it symbolises the triumph of determination over adversity. Even a stroke or disability could not stop me from pursuing my dreams,” he said.

He quickly emphasised that his success was not his alone.

He added, “I am profoundly grateful to my supervisors, family, and colleagues for their unwavering support. Success is never a solitary journey but one built on the care and support of others.”

Together, Ludidi and Dr Ndlovu embody a shared truth: that hardship does not define the end of a story – it can become the very force that shapes its most meaningful chapters.