UNksz Kelebogile Boleu, oneminyaka engu-36, ongumfundisi eNyuvesi yaseFree State (UFS), uthi ukukhulisa indodana yakhe uNathanael, ongezwa ezindlebeni, kumfundise ukubaluleka kokubekezela, uthando nokufunda indlela entsha yokuxhumana.
SHEILA MHLONGO | KZN NAMUHLA
Umama wengane engezwani ezindlebeni usekhuthaze abazali nemindeni enezingane ezingezwa ezindlebeni ukuba bafunde uLimi Lwezandla LwaseNingizimu Afrika (SASL), ukuze bakwazi ukuxhumana nezingane zabo, bazisize ezifundweni futhi bazenze zizizwe zithandwa, zamukelekile futhi ziyingxenye yomndeni.
UNathanael, osesondele ekuhlanganiseni iminyaka engu-11, uyizibulo likaBoleu, futhi ungumntwana owamfundisa ukuthi kusho ukuthini ukuba ngumzali.
UBoleu uthi nakuba ukukhulisa ingane engezwani ezindlebeni kunezinselelo zako, kuyisipho esikhulu esimenze wabona impilo ngendlela ehlukile.
“Angazi ukuthi kunjani ukuba nendodana ezwa ezindlebeni ngoba indodana yami yokuqala ayizwa. Yiyo eyangifundisa ukuba ngumama. Ukuba ngumzali wayo kuyisibusiso esikhulu, futhi ngiyabonga ngokuthi ngiphathiswe umsebenzi wokuyikhulisa,” kusho uBoleu.
Uchaze indodana yakhe njengengane enesibindi, ezethembayo, ethanda ukuncintisana futhi enenhliziyo enomusa.
Ulandise ngesigameko lapho uNathanael abona khona omunye umfundi efika esikoleni ephethe isikhwama esonakele. Wabe esebuyela ekhaya, wageza esinye sezikhwama zakhe zesikole ezindala, wasinikeza lowo mfundi.
Okumjabulisa kakhulu ukuthi indodana yakhe ayizange ifune ukunconywa ngalokho eyakwenzayo.
“Into engiyithandayo ngaye ukuthi uyakwazi ukusiza abanye ngaphandle kokufuna ukubongwa noma ukunconywa. Ngiyethemba ukuthi lowo moya wakhe omuhle awusoze washintsha,” kusho lo mama.
WATHOLA UKUTHI INDODANA YAKHE AYIZWA EZINDLEBENI ISINEMINYAKA EMIBILI
UBoleu uthi yena nomyeni wakhe babengenawo amalungu omndeni ayengezwa ezindlebeni ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaNathanael.
Ngesikhathi ekhulelwe, akuzange kube nezinkinga ezazikhombisa ukuthi ingane ingase ibe nenkinga yokuzwa.
Nokho, ngesikhathi indodana yakhe isineminyaka engaphezudlwana kwemibili, waqala ukubona ukuthi ukukhula kwayo ekukhulumeni kwakungahambi ngendlela ayeyilindele.
Wabe eseyiyisa kochwepheshe abasiza izingane ezinenkinga yokukhuluma.
Ekuqaleni, wanikezwa imisebenzi okwakufanele ayenze nengane ekhaya, okubalwa ukufunda izincwadi, ukudlala imidlalo yokwakha nokucula.
Kodwa ngemva kokuthola imibono yochwepheshe abahlukene, wagcina ehlangane nochwepheshe owayeqeqeshelwe kokubili izinkinga zokukhuluma nezokuzwa.
Lowo chwepheshe wathola ukuthi uNathanael wayengenayo inkinga yokukhuluma kuphela, kodwa inkinga enkulu kwakuwukuthi wayengezwa kahle ezindlebeni.
Kwalandela ukuhlolwa kokuzwa nokusetshenziswa kwezinsiza zokuzwa, ngaphambi kokuba umndeni ugcine ususebenzisa uLimi Lwezandla LwaseNingizimu Afrika.
UNathanael waqala ukufunda lolu limi eneminyaka eyisithupha, wakwazi ukulusebenzisa ngokushelelayo phakathi nezinyanga ezintathu.
USUNGULE UHLELO LOKUSIZA ABAZALI NEZINGANE EZINGEZWA EZINDLEBENI
Ngemva kokubhekana nezinselelo zokukhulisa indodana yakhe, uBoleu wabona ukuthi baningi abazali abanezingane ezingezwa ezindlebeni ababhekene nobunzima bokuxhumana nazo.
Lokhu kwamenza wasungula uhlelo olubizwa nge-Hearts Project, oluhlose ukufundisa abazali uLimi Lwezandla LwaseNingizimu Afrika, ngesikhathi izingane zisizwa ukuthuthukisa amakhono okufunda.
UBoleu, ofundisa eMnyangweni Wezifundo Zobugebengu eNyuvesi yaseFree State futhi oqhubeka nezifundo zakhe zobudokotela (PhD), uthi lolu hlelo lwaqala ngenxa yesifiso sakhe sokuthuthukisa imfundo yendodana yakhe.
Waphinde wabona ukuthi ezinye izingane ezingezwa ezindlebeni azinayo inhlanhla yokuhlala emakhaya lapho amalungu omndeni ekwazi ukusebenzisa ulimi lwezandla.
“UNathanael ufika ekhaya lapho wonke umuntu ezama ukuxhumana naye ngolimi lwezandla. Lokhu kumenza azizwe eyingxenye yomndeni. Kodwa ngathola ukuthi akunjalo kuyo yonke imindeni,” echaza.
Uthi abanye abazali abakwazi ukusiza izingane zabo ngemisebenzi yesikole ngenxa yokuthi abaluqondi ulimi lwezandla.
Lokhu kuphinde kuphazamise ukuxhumana phakathi kwabazali nezingane, okungaholela ekutheni ezinye izingane zizizwe zinesizungu noma zingamukelekile emakhaya azo.
Ukuze abhekane nale nkinga, uBoleu waxhumana nozakwabo eNyuvesi yaseFree State, osebenza eMnyangweni Wolimi Lwezandla Nezifundo Zabantu Abangezwa Ezindlebeni, kanye nomunye osebenza emtatsheni wolwazi wale nyuvesi.
Ngokubambisana basungula amathuba okufunda kubazali nezingane.
Uthi selokhu kwaqala lolu hlelo, kubonakala intuthuko enkulu endleleni abazali nezingane abasebenzisa ngayo ulimi lwezandla.
ULIMI LWEZANDLA LUBALULEKILE EKUTHUTHUKISENI IMFUNDO
UBoleu ukholelwa ukuthi izingane ezingezwa ezindlebeni kufanele zithole amathuba afanayo nezinye izingane kwezemfundo.
Uthi ukufunda ukubhala nokufunda izincwadi kubalulekile ukuze izingane zikwazi ukuthola ulwazi, ziqhubeke nezifundo futhi zizakhele ikusasa elingcono.
Ngokubona kwakhe, izingane ezingezwa ezindlebeni zingaphumelela ezifundweni uma zithola ukwesekwa okufanele.
Naye uqobo uyaqhubeka nokufunda ulimi lwezandla, nakuba evuma ukuthi akulula ukulwazi ngokuphelele.
Uthi indodakazi yakhe nayo iyalufunda lolu limi futhi ibamba iqhaza ohlelweni lwe-Hearts Project.
“Indodakazi yami isithuthuke kakhulu ekusebenziseni ulimi lwezandla, ize isingidlule nakimi. Sonke siyaqhubeka nokufunda ngokuxhumana noNathanael kanye nomphakathi wabantu abangazwani ezindlebeni,” kusho uBoleu.
Ugcizelele ukuthi ukufunda ulimi lwezandla kudinga ukuzimisela nokuzijwayeza njalo.
ULIMI LWEZANDLA LWAMUKELWA NJENGOLIMI LWE-12 OLUSEMTHETHWENI ENINGIZIMU AFRIKA
NgoNtulikazi 2023, uMengameli Cyril Ramaphosa wasayina umthetho owamukela uLimi Lwezandla LwaseNingizimu Afrika njengolimi lwe-12 olusemthethweni ezweni.
Lokhu kwaba yingqophamlando ekuqinisekiseni amalungelo abantu abangazwani ezindlebeni.
Ibhodi Lezilimi LaseNingizimu Afrika, iPan South African Language Board (PanSALB), lithi kulinganiselwa ukuthi abantu abangaba ngu-600 000 ezweni abayizwa ezindlebeni.
IPanSALB iyaqhubeka nezinhlelo zokukhuthaza ukusetshenziswa kolimi lwezandla ezikhungweni zikahulumeni, ezikoleni nasemiphakathini.
Lezi zinhlelo zihlanganisa ukufundisa abasebenzi abahlinzeka umphakathi ngezinsiza, abazali, izingane zakubo kanye nemindeni yabantu abangazwani ezindlebeni.
Kukhona nezinhlelo zokuthuthukisa amagama nezimpawu ezisetshenziswa kulolu limi, kanye nokusungulwa kophiko lukazwelonke oluzobhekelela ukuthuthukiswa kwesichazamazwi soLimi Lwezandla LwaseNingizimu Afrika.
Nokho, uBoleu uthi ukwamukelwa kolimi lwezandla ngokomthetho kuyisiqalo nje.
Ugcizelela ukuthi imithetho kufanele ihambisane nezinyathelo ezibonakalayo ezizosiza abantu abangazwani ezindlebeni ukuthi bathole izinsiza zomphakathi ngaphandle kokubandlululwa.
Uthi kusadingeka otolika abaningi bolimi lwezandla, kanye nezinhlelo ezizokwenza ukuthi abantu abangazwani ezindlebeni bakwazi ukuthola ulwazi nezinsiza kalula.
ABAZALI BAYANXUSWA UKUBA BAZAMUKELE FUTHI BAZISEKE IZINGANE ZABO
Njengoba inyanga kaMandulo ibibekelwe ukuqwashisa ngamalungelo abantu abangazwani ezindlebeni, ngaphansi kwendikimba ethi “Declaring Deaf People’s Human Rights”, uBoleu uthi kubalulekile ukuthi umphakathi uqhubeke nokuhlonipha amalungelo alaba bantu ngisho nangemva kokuphela kwenyanga yokuqwashisa.
Uthi izingane ezingezwa ezindlebeni zinezifiso, amaphupho namakhono afanayo nezinye izingane.
Ngokombono wakhe, indodana yakhe nabangani bayo bafuna ukuphila impilo ejwayelekile, badlale, bafunde futhi babambe iqhaza emisebenzini eyenziwa ezinye izingane.
Uthi izithiyo ezibhekene nabantu abangazwani ezindlebeni zivame ukudalwa ukungabi khona kwezinsiza ezifanele nokungaqondi komphakathi, hhayi ukungakwazi kwabo ukuphumelela.
“Indodana yami iyabathanda abantu futhi iyayithokozela impilo. Ingathanda ukuthi wonke umuntu abone ukuthi izingane ezingezwa ezindlebeni nazo ziyizingane ezifana nezinye,” kusho uBoleu.
Uphinde wakhuthaza abazali ukuthi bangazihlukanisi izingane zabo ngenxa yokukhubazeka.
“Ngikhuthaza abazali ukuthi bafunde ulimi lwezandla. Yenzani ukuthi izingane zenu zizizwe zamukelekile futhi zithandwa emakhaya. Xhumanani nomphakathi wabantu abangazwani ezindlebeni ukuze nifunde kokuhlangenwe nakho kwabo,” kusho yena.
UBoleu uthi umphakathi wabantu abangazwani ezindlebeni uyaziqhenya ngolimi, amasiko kanye nobunjalo bawo.
Ugcizelele ukuthi abazali kufanele babone amakhono, ubuhlakani nesibindi sezingane zabo kunokugxila kuphela ekukhubazekeni kwazo.
“Ukuba nengane engezwani ezindlebeni kuyisibusiso njengokuba nanoma iyiphi enye ingane. Nakuba kunezinselelo, kubalulekile ukukhulisa ingane ngothando, ngokuyiqonda nangokuyisekela,” kusho uBoleu.
Uphethe ngokuthi ukukhulisa uNathanael kanye nodadewabo kumenze waba ngumuntu ongcono, futhi akakwazi ukucabanga indodana yakhe ingomunye umuntu ngaphandle kwalowo eyinguye.
Umyalezo wakhe omkhulu uthi abazali akufanele balinde ukuthi izingane zabo ezingezwa ezindlebeni zizame ukuzivumelanisa nemindeni yazo kuphela, kodwa nemindeni kufanele ifunde indlela yokuxhumana nazo ukuze zonke izingane zizizwe ziyingxenye yomndeni.
Umthombo: SAnews.gov.za | Udaba luhunyushwe lwahlelwa kabusha ukuze lufanele abafundi beKZN Namuhla Community Newspaper.
