When Lukholo Annie Mhlabeni from Mdantsane NU1 walked across the stage to receive her Bachelor of Education in Foundation Phase at the University of Fort Hare’s 2025 Autumn Graduation today, she did so carrying the memory of her parents and siblings she had lost during her academic journey.
In the span of just a few years, Lukholo lost her mother and father, both to cancer, her sister after a short illness, and her younger brother to a tragic car accident.
Despite these great losses, the 25-year-old mother of one found the strength to push through unimaginable hardship.
She attended her graduation with her stepmother, who stood by her side when her world fell apart. Together, they celebrated Lukholo’s academic journey and the beginning of a new chapter filled with hope.
Lukholo enrolled at UFH in 2019, hoping to achieve her dream of becoming a qualified teacher in four years. However, a year later became the year that she would suffer her first loss.
“The year 2020 will always be etched in my memory as a time of unimaginable loss.” It was the year she lost her sister, who passed away after a short illness. “Losing my sister left a hole in my heart. I couldn’t imagine the world without her in it.”
The grief of losing her sister was something she struggled with deeply, but the pain of loss didn’t stop there. In 2022, just two years after the death of her sister, her mother, who had been battling cancer, passed away.
“When my mom passed away, it was like the ground beneath me gave way,” Lukholo said. “I remember I had just finished my practicals and was submitting my portfolio the day before her funeral. It felt like I was living in two different worlds, grieving deeply yet having to keep going with my studies.”
But even as Lukholo dealt with the devastation of losing her mother, the universe seemed to continue testing her. In 2024, her father, who had always been her pillar of strength, also succumbed to cancer. His passing left her feeling like she had lost everything.
“My dad was my rock,” she explained, heavy with emotion. “Losing him felt like drowning in grief. He had always been there for me, and now I had to face life without him.”
Just two months after losing her father, tragedy struck again when her younger brother, who had just started his studies at the University of Fort Hare, died in a car accident. She said his passing was the final blow that left her struggling to find solid ground.
“My brother was just starting his life, and to lose him so suddenly, it shattered me. He had so many dreams, and I couldn’t understand how he could be taken so soon.”
Overwhelmed with grief, Lukholo’s academic performance faltered, and she found herself struggling to focus on her coursework. What had once been a path filled with excitement and ambition had become a daunting climb.
“My studies suffered,” she admitted. “I had always been a diligent student, but after everything that happened, I felt like I was just going through the motions. It took me six years to finish my four-year degree, but somehow, I made it.”
Reflecting on her journey, she recognizes how much she has changed. “Though I didn’t realize it at the time, the grief, pain, and hardship shaped me in ways I never imagined. I know now that I’ve grown more resilient and more determined. The losses didn’t break me; they made me stronger.”
As she crossed the graduation stage to collect her degree, Lukholo said she felt a quiet sense of pride in herself and her achievements. “I’m proud of the person I’ve become. I never gave up. I kept going, even when it felt impossible.”
While the pain of losing her family will never fade, Lukholo says she knows that their memory lives on in her. “They may not be here physically, but they are always with me. Their love and strength have stayed with me, which has kept me going.”
With her degree in hand and currently pursuing her Honours Degree in Inclusive Education at UFH, Lukholo looks forward to making a difference in young lives as a foundation phase teacher. “I want to be the kind of teacher who inspires strength and resilience, one learner at a time.”