Nkabinde shines despite obstacles in life

For years, Xoliswa Nkabinde was bullied at school for being differently abled.

But getting enrolled at a special school, Kwa Thintwa School for the Deaf in uMgungundlovu, KwaZulu-Natal, boosted her confidence.

On Thursday, Xoliswa, 20, was among a group of 2023 matric top achievers who were hosted for breakfast by minister of basic education Angie Motshekga in Johannesburg.

Xoliswa said: “Being deaf always made me doubt my capabilities in academics. [The final exams] were very difficult. I tried to work as hard as I could and [I had] doubts [and asked myself if] as a deaf person can I really do it.

“Can I achieve the same goals as my peers, which has always been something I struggled with but I tried to build my confidence and motivate myself to be positive. I can now see that it is indeed possible.”

Xoliswa said she wants to explore fashion. “I am hoping to do it in Durban as I love fashion so much and want to start my own business. You know when you own a business you can have the support of the community and everyone around you, and I also want to work on giving back to the community as well.”

Another top achiever Amahle Jemane, 18, from De la Bat School for the Deaf in Worcester, Western Cape, said when exams started she felt nervous.

“I felt the pressure. There was a lot of anxiety and I was stressed but afterwards, you could see the relief on my face and it is very exciting. It is overwhelming but I am grateful to be here. I never thought I would be part of this group,” said Amahle.

Amahle said she wants to pursue a career in education. “I want to do this because I want to improve the basic education of deaf children in SA. There are very few resources and a lack of teachers in that section and I want to be able to fill in that gap.”

Amahle’s parents, Phumelele and Uriel Jemane, who also have impaired hearing, said they feared for their daughter as she grew up and towards her final days in matric.

“My biggest concern in my child’s school and with all the deaf schooling was that our teachers do not know how to sign or use sign language fluently. So that has always been the stress and fear in my life for my child and I always prayed that they would do better despite the inaccessibility of these special schools.

“So it becomes very difficult to send a child to a special school who has special needs, after realising that the normal schools cannot cater to them and the same special school is unable to provide access to the child and it was stressful,” said Phumelele Jemane.

He said they were proud of their daughter. “It’s a great blessing to be here with her and we are very grateful to the Lord really as it really demonstrates that a deaf child can achieve equally like any other child.

“This achievement shows the people out there, the community of SA that when you include our deaf children and give them an opportunity to compete on an equal footing then they can achieve things beyond your imagination,” he said

Asanda Mchunu, 18, also from Kwa Thintwa School for the Deaf, said he chose to focus on the positive.

“I was nervous at times because I didn’t know what to expect but I studied hard. I was prepared and felt ready as I was getting into the groove of it. I was feeling more confident, but being here as well I am feeling very excited and hopeful for the future,” said Mchunu.

“It is a miracle that I am here because I still find it hard to believe. I was often bullied when I was younger because of how different I was but my family was very supportive all the way.”

Asanda said he is planning to pursue information technology and I have already got a bursary to further my studies. “Visual arts is my passion as well and I am also looking to explore it.”

mashalek@sowetan.co.za