The gospel of sign language
Nze could not hold back her tears when she saw hundreds of deaf and mute children singing a gospel song using only their hands
Imagine a mute or deaf person entering your house or meeting him or her on the street in desperate need of help.
How painful would it be to not be able to help them simply because you cannot communicate?
KwaDukuza sign language teacher Zamo Nze has made it her life’s mission to close the gap between the deaf and hearing communities.
Nze is a sign language interpreter at courts and police stations in the Ilembe region and at her church. She is also currently working with mentally-challenged children at Ethel Mthiyane Specialised School in Mandeni.
It all started when her parents employed a mute gogo as a maid. This became the seed for the love of sign language for the Groutville-born woman. Nze now struggles to talk without using sign language.
She says she usually keeps her hands under a desk to keep them in check.
She started her teaching career at the Vuleka School of the Deaf in Nkandla, and her first day was a very emotional one.
Nze could not hold back her tears when she saw hundreds of deaf and mute children singing a gospel song using only their hands.
That was the day she made a commitment to herself to always work with disabled children.
While she did not know much about sign language – her domestic had used an informal sign language – the teachers and specialists at Vuleka helped her to master the language.
She went on to do a diploma in specialised education for the deaf (aurally handicapped) at UNISA.
“I studied teaching at Appelsbosch college of education at Ozwathini near Bhamshela. When I saw a post for sign language teacher at the Vuleka, I applied. At that time, I only knew the informal sign language that we used to communicate with our maid at home,” said Nze.
Nze said as much as it may be difficult to communicate with a deaf or mute person, you must always show interest in what they trying to say.
“When you come across a deaf or mute person and you cannot use sign language, you must remember that your facial expression means a lot to him or her. When you are happy, they must be able to see it on your face. Try to ensure that they can read the words on your lips, but don’t overdo it. Try and be as normal as possible.”
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