27th
Community Service With A Convict
The Amy Biehl Foundation was started by Linda and Peter Biehl after their daughter, who was in South Africa fighting the Apartheid government, was killed by a black mob who associated the color of her skin with the government that had oppressed them for so long.
I decided that from the 4 community service site options, the after-school program that this foundation ran would suit me best. After meeting with Ntebecko Penny, the director of the program, I was convinced I had made the right choice.
The next day we watched a video on the story of Amy Biehl and I recognized one of her murderers. Ntebecko Penny stood in front of the TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Commission) seeking amnesty. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the Biehl’s decision to employ their daughters murderer, but I was certain that I could not have done the same thing. Their ability to forgive and look unbiasedly at the entire situation surrounding their daughters death was inspiring, and equally inspiring was Ntebecko’s transformation from a more reckless youth into a responsible, caring, and still passionate adult.
