A Proud Product of Deaf Parents.

Having been raised by a woman who overcame hearing impairment ( deaf ) and became a teacher, i got to realize that disability is just a state of mind.

Here is yet another success story of Bulelwa Madikane. A 29 year old lady, born and bred in the Eastern Cape Mdantsane. She studied at Moses Mabhida High School in a government school based in Mdantsane. Luckily after she completed her matric she got an opportunity to further her studies as a qualified Interpreter ( National Diploma in Liaison Interpreting) through the company called edeaf based in JHB, that’s where she’s currrently working.

She’s a proud product of deaf parents. Her parents are a definition of greatness wrapped in physical impairment. What a gem of parents. Disability is indeed not inability.

As she wrote on her facebook page. She said, ‘Growing up having deaf parents was one of the challenges I had to deal with everyday of my life. Especially at school when there’s parents meetings because I had to be part of the meeting to make sure that there’s no communication barrier between my dad and school principal.

Back in the days there were very few people who understood or had knowledge about deaf community and that put the spotlight of being called “ODOMI”(Dumb). When you know that your parents aren’t “Domi”( dumb), that really cut too deep in my heart. It killed my confidence which likely led me into asking God “Why me” questions. It used to sadden me a lot.

Am the first seed to my parents, which simply meant I had to be matured at an early age as I had to interpret for my parents. I knew almost all the family secrets.

The reality is that it was not easy as it sounds. For instance when we played “sigwarana” (playing and saying naughty things to each other), my friends used to say, “uthule wena utsho ngabazali abangodomi, betsho belinganisa their voices” (Shut up because you have dumb parents, they’ll do voice imitation of my parents). Knowing too well that deaf people do not have the “normal” voice as speaking people, it’s a little quirky.

It’s a miracle for us because most people were so confused as to how come my parents gave birth to hearing children, simply because they believed being deaf is a curse.

I want to attest and say growing up in a hearing society can be draining. I’d be asked really strange questions which made me feel small and it saddened me. If it was not for the Lord on my side I would have lost it but I kept at it and am grateful to God because through it all I made it.

Here I am today because of my parents, i will never be thankful enough for the things they’ve done for me.

Thank you mommy and daddy. You’ve done your part into raising my siblings and I. Thanking you is an understatement. I love you with all my being. All God’s best coming your way.

I’m a proud product of Deaf Community, she concluded.

As we speak Bulelwa completed her studies in National Diploma in Liaison Interpreting at eDeaf program. She’s a sign language interpreter and a voice for all deaf and hearing people. She sure is a dreamer as she aspires to achieve Phd qualification in Interpreting.

Follow her on her journey on social media.https://www.facebook.com/bulelwa.madikane

From my heart to yours

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