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NEWS
THE NEWSPAPER
| Deaf student’s accomplishment a first for SU When Ilze Aäron, a Deaf student from Paarl, graduated with her BEd Foundation Phase degree at the December 2021 graduation, she was the first-ever Stellenbosch University (SU) student to have learned thanks to South African Sign Language (SASL).
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Aäron, 24, who is passionate about teaching and plans to teach at a Deaf school, described her achievement as “a dream come true” and hopes it will inspire fellow Deaf people to follow their dreams. Aäron, who was given the opportunity to complete the four-year degree in five years, voiced her heartfelt gratitude to the University’s Disability Unit as well as to the SU Language Centre, whose interpreting services include SASL interpreting, for the support they provided towards her achievement. Elaborating on the experience of learning in the unique way she did – through interpreters – Aäron said: “In class, I would sit right in front (sometimes as many as 200 fellow students attended the lectures) and the interpreter would sit in front of me and observe what the lecturer presented in the class. It’s hard to observe two people (the lecturer and the interpreter) at the same time. Even though I can hear a little and am able to partially follow what the lecturer says, I also had to observe the interpreter’s signs. But after class, we would sit down to make sure I understood the work and that I hadn’t missed anything.” Aäron continued: “Moving from a Deaf environment to a world where everyone else could hear certainly was a big adjustment for me.” Aäron attended Labori High School for a year before moving to De La Bat School for the Deaf in 2012. Initially, she had no knowledge of SASL. “For the first three months at my new school, I had to take extra classes after school to learn SASL so that I could communicate with my fellow learners.” Towards the end of her school career, she started helping as an interpreter between the teacher and the other learners in the class because the teacher could not use SASL fluently enough for them to understand her. After matric, she worked as a teacher’s assistant at Dominican School for the Deaf in Wittebome, Wynberg where she learned a great deal about being a teacher for Deaf learners. Aäron is interested in doing research on Deaf education and on how to improve teaching styles for Deaf learners. Asked about her plans for the future, Aäron said, besides her plan to teach at a Deaf school, she hopes to start a tutorial service for Deaf learners who struggle with their schoolwork.
| B l o u b e rg co m m u ni ty c reates
pension fund to reward humble 71-year-old Ice Cream man George Phontshe Peni (71) from Khayelitsha, has made an honest living selling ice creams, whilst capturing the hearts of Bloubergstrand residents and beachgoers for more than 4 decades. ‘Uncle George’, who is an icon in the community, is affectionately known for his kind-loving nature, warm heart, and patience. Come rain or shine, he can often be seen peddling his bike to support his family. Demonstrating random acts of kindness, George is known for giving out free ice creams to children who are short of change for a treat. Get a "Free" copy at selected The Newspaper stands in the Western Cape.
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“Uncle George about a month ago gave my grandson, aged 2 an ice cream for free, as I did not have money on me, and he said a child should not go without ice cream. I could not believe the kindness and warmth of this man. Later on, we paid him back; however, his gesture had no price”, said one Instagram user. As George is getting older, business has become a bit slower than it was in his golden years. Due to financial struggles, George sometimes misses an opportunity to sell his ice cream on days when he can’t afford the travelling costs to and from his home. He also lacks the strength to ride his bike, and rather pushes it alongside Babalwa, a family friend determined to help keep George’s small business and dream alive. Having lived in Blouberg for over a decade, Michelle Nel (32), formed a special friendship with George, despite their different backgrounds, age gap, and a language barrier. Hearing his stories, she eagerly took notes, hoping for the opportunity to one day share his story with the world. But sadly, as it often happens, life and work took over, and the loosely translated tales of his life were misplaced. A few years later, the unexpected happened: In need of taxi fare to get home one day, George showed up on Michelle’s doorstep out of the blue, with no knowledge of where she stayed. Feeling a sense of divine intervention, and listening to her inner voice urging her to take on a cause greater than herself, Michelle knew it was the right time to tell George’s story and see if her community would help George get back on his feet. With a suggestion from her husband, Regardt Nel (38), Michelle decided to launch a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy with a fundraising target of R50 000, hoping to surprise George with a pension fund to support him and his family in the long term.
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Reaching out to neighbours, and posting on community groups, Michelle was blown away when the campaign soon reached over R23 000, with the support of 57 donors, each sharing heart-warming interactions with George over the last 43 years. Having helped set up a banking account for George, Michelle hopes that he will have an easier life, and have the means to fix his home and buy furniture. “Thank you to the Blouberg community, for all you have done to echo the impact George has had to you. While he didn’t ask for us to do this for him, I know, by seeing his face as he reads through your donation comments, that he is grateful beyond words. The commitment and love you have shown, proves that together we can make a genuine change in people’s lives,” - says Michelle.