Who are you? Tell yourself.
My name is Maria Teresa Nardello, I was born in Velo d’Astico in 1944. I studied at Montanina, a local private school, and after graduating from university I started teaching in the schools around Schio and Marano Vicentino. After retiring, I decided to live in some of the countries that I had visited during my travels and make this experience my life choice. I decided to live first in Ecuador and then in Sierra Leone, which was going through one of the worst periods in its history when I arrived. I knew straight away that it was the place for me. I decided to volunteer to follow children and young people who were living in a shelter as a consequence of the war. I started constructing my school thanks to the help of people and donations, trying to make it as fine as I possibly could, and I was brave enough to succeed in building Saint Catherine’s Primary School.
Why did you choose this word to represent yourself?
Bravery… I found myself facing the situation alone. Without an organisation to back me, I fought against injustice on my own. I have always fought against injustice! I know very well that I must face injustice. Mothers in Sierra Leone want to send their children to school, especially the girls. They realized it was an injustice, and I stood by them. I know it is not easy; I know that I have lots of people against me and that I should be moving forward a little at a time, step by step, and that is what we are doing. I have put a group together, a team of young people who work alongside me and who will soon run this small organization called the MT Nardello Charity Foundation.
To get to where you are, you had to strongly believe in yourself, in your idea, in your project: do you therefore think that believing in something with conviction always makes it possible?
What prompted me to do all this? I am not an optimist, sometimes I worry, especially about money, and I often think I cannot manage… But I believe in it. I have enrolled five young people in a university, a very expensive one. Not a penny to go on, imagine what a challenge I am facing. This year we have managed to send them all to school. Providence has had a hand in it, working in the most unfathomable ways, and this is where I get my courage from. I have realized that many people also support me because they see the results and encourage me to keep on; I cannot let them down, nor can the boys and girls I am raising.
Your area of origin is full of inventors, entrepreneurs, artists, writers and sportsmen who, with talent and stubbornness, dedicate every day of their lives to putting into practice what they believe in to make their dreams come true, overcoming their limits. What has the territory you come from transmitted to you? And how do you feel about it?
I was born in Seghe di Velo, population of 80. I was the first ever to get a university degree. The people there were raised on bread alone. I know the resourcefulness of the families of the children from Schio who came to school; they always went all out, they never stopped, they worked relentlessly. Marano Vicentino, what a wonderful place! A remarkably lively place; I remember the first film clubs, the invitations to fairly important people, everyone joining in building the school. It is all about action, isn’t it? So I like the people from the Veneto Region, I like them for their resourcefulness. In Sierra Leone, most priests are from Veneto and they are doing exceptional things. We are a good land, we sow everywhere and some of the things that grow from the seeds are good.
Are you aware that yours is an “EXTRAordinary” story? And what do you think makes it truly “EXTRAordinary”?
My life is normal, not at all extraordinary! Extraordinary things happen to me, but it is not as if I chose them. I have met a lot of extraordinary people. Now I occasionally hear one of these people saying that I am doing something extraordinary. As I said, I have met a lot of these extraordinary people, so I would say that I am normal. If you achieve something, occasionally, yes, you congratulate yourself because you say “well, I have managed to do this”, especially when you give others the opportunity to become aware of their rights and their duties: this is important. No, I am not extraordinary. I am normal! I took my opportunities and some people think I am extraordinary and it was only by chance that I received an honour. I am happy because I can say, “guys, see what I’m doing!” so believe in people who do things. Hard times? It has always been hard, right from the start. I hope to be able to carry on.
