[PW] Inexperienced people in occupations who then excel at them

[Jody Bailey]

One person who immediately came to mind when I saw your post was Thembi 
Ngubane, a young woman living with AIDS in South Africa who has become 
an AIDS activist and public speaker on the topic. I've heard her 
interviewed twice on NPR, the latest time just yesterday on All Things 
Considered. The interviewer mentioned that Thembi had previously had no 
training to be a public speaker but has become one of the leading voices 
on AIDS in her country, recently addressing the African National 
Congress. Her journey began, according to NPR, thusly: "Ngubane was 19 
when she first met radio producer Joe Richman in Khayelitsha, outside 
Cape Town. She was among a group of South African teenagers he 
interviewed about AIDS in 2004. He gave her a tape recorder, and for a 
year, she recorded an intimate audio diary that brings listeners into 
her home, among her family, to witness her daily struggles and triumphs."

Here are two links to her story from NPR's website:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5311801

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9321208

Jody Bailey


Sara Bernelli wrote:
> A patron is looking for examples of people who, without experience for
> a particular occupation, profession or job, then excels at the job. I've
> done some searching on Google, Factiva and a few others but came up
> pretty much empty. Thanks.
> 
> Sara
> 
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