Faith Ndlovu hails from humble beginnings in the Alexandra township. She comes from a family of two parents and five siblings, and she holds the distinction of being the first in her family to earn a university degree. Faith initially attended Alexandra High School. Her journey towards higher education began when she sought career guidance through Ignition. Her initial matriculation results were not sufficient to gain admission to a university.Fortunately, Ignition prioritised character and potential over academic marks, a decision that would ultimately prove to be a wise one. Faith found work as a dental assistant and discovered her passion for working with teeth. Over the course of three years, she persevered and made marginal improvements as she retook her Matric exams in Maths and Physics. Her determination paid off, leading to her acceptance as a mature student at Wits University, where she pursued a degree in Oral Hygiene.

As a university student, Faith excelled, successfully passing all of her courses on her first attempt, proving her dedication and commitment to her chosen field. She had this to say about Ignition: “My first year was very hard because I was out of school for three years and everyone in first year was fresh out of matric… I was like how do I study? It was very hard but I managed to pass. I used to call the training seminars my therapy sessions. I looked forward to it. One of the things we did was to sit in a circle and we’d talk about our challenges and then I’ll get to hear Candice’s story, Angela’s story, Neo’s. And then I’d be like, ‘Ok I’m not the only one having problems, things like that”. I’d hear people say: ‘I managed to do this and I passed’, and I’d be like, ‘Ok I can also do this. She did it, so can I.’ When I had depression from all the stress, I called my mentor and she was there to encourage me to persevere.” Faith has worked as an Oral Hygienist for more than 7 years in private practice. “The difference between an oral hygienist and being a dental assistant is that I used to assist the dentist. Now I get an assistant. So that’s exciting… Some people even call me doctor.”

Lately, she has transitioned to temporary roles in rural clinics, where she is actively contributing to primary healthcare initiatives. This includes her involvement in spreading oral health education throughout the nation. Additionally, she is presently pursuing further studies at the University of Witwatersrand, focusing on a postgraduate program in business administration. Mentoring was so impactful for her that she now mentors new Ignition students. This is what one of her mentees said about her: “Faith leaves a big impact in my life. I have been feeling very lonely lately and Faith knew just how to make me happy again and she gave me some good advice. I love that I can communicate about anything with her, like anything. She is my big supporter and I appreciate her. I thank God for Ignition and Faith cause without you I don’t know how I would’ve coped.