The Deaf Coordinator and Spokesperson for the Neema Foundation, Mariah Morgan addressing the attendees at the workshop in Pretoria.
The Neema Foundation for the Deaf’s workshops that are aimed at curbing violence, substance abuse and addressing psychosocial needs in families with Deaf and hard of-hearing members are on-going across the country.
The foundation said since its inception, it has been approached on many occasions to assist with resolving family conflicts between Deaf couples as well as Deaf children and hearing parents.
The key mandate is to address family conflicts and gender-based violence (GBV) through workshops. The workshops are themed, the “nationwide efforts to combat violence and support Deaf community” and are supported by the GBV Response Fund and several stakeholders.
The first leg of the workshops for 2024, were held in Soshanguve early this month and over the weekend at the Sizwile School for the Deaf in Dobsonville, Soweto. Last year they were held in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and in different areas around the Gauteng province.
The workshops are tailor-made for members of the Deaf Community in the respective areas, Deaf learners in grade 10 to 12, their parents and teachers.
To ensure that no one is excluded due to financial constraints, attendance is free of charge.
Chairperson of the Neema Foundation for the Deaf,
The Chairperson of the Neema Foundation, Itumeleng Motaung said:
Motaung added that: “These sessions are helpful because they are provided in a language that the Deaf Community understands. Information is shared on practical interventions to combat GBV, such as reporting to authorities and conflict resolution techniques.”
Motaung said additionally, communication barriers exacerbate conflicts within Deaf households and hinder access to help from public institutions and communities. These workshops seek to address these challenges and provide possible solutions.
The Neema Foundation said it aims to preserve relationships within Deaf communities and promote collaboration with stakeholders to provide preventative and support services. Access to translation and pertinent information is essential to ensure support and justice for the Deaf community.
The Foundation was formed in 2017 and is committed to creating awareness, prevention and empowering the Deaf and hard-of-hearing people, particularly women, youth and children. Women, youth and children are generally vulnerable across the world, this is significantly worse when they are Deaf or hard of hearing.
Community Members attending the workshop in Soweto.
"The Deaf community faces vast challenges ranging from substance abuse, domestic violence, conflict in homes and other various types of gender-based violence. Moreover, they face challenges in accessing information and public services due to communication barriers and lack South African Sign Language (SASL) as a medium of communication within the country. One of the key mandates of the Foundation is to create awareness, educate and empower the whole Deaf Community against GBV, being that GBV often starts in homes, stereotype and upbringing are some of the components towards GBV particularly in disadvantaged communities,” said the Foundation.
The foundation said their mandate is to bridge this gap.
Thus, “Its goal is to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Deaf and hard-of-hearing people, especially women and youth. The Foundation provides platforms, tools, mechanisms and services that help them actively engage in the economy of South Africa.”
Some of the stakeholders include community leaders, Childline, SANCA, Legal Aid, GBV Command Centre, Safer South Africa Foundation, and the South African Police Services.