Suvana Majiare (40) wants to break the silence of her life-long hearing disability.
“All my life I have depended on lip reading out of a fear of rejection, being teased and other fears that come with being deaf,” she said.
The Primrose resident decided that it was time for her to finally come out into the light and start her healing process.
To start this process she entered the Ms Deaf SA competition in February.
Later that same month she was thrilled to learn that she was one of the 13 finalists in her category.
“I was overjoyed and baffled at the same time when I heard I was a finalist,” Suvana said.
“I didn’t think I was good enough, pretty enough or even smart enough to be selected as a finalist.”
Suvana told the GCN that the finals of the Miss, Mr and Ms Deaf SA pageant were supposed to take place in September, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic it was decided to move the finals to February 21, next year.
Suvana said that she had always wanted to enter a pageant for as long as she could remember, but she suffers from major stage fright.
“When I saw the pageant advertised for 2020, I just knew that it was an opportunity which had come to my doorstep for a reason.
“My aim is to break the silence and focus on abused women and children who suffer in silence,” she said.
“So many of us suffer in silence with a smile on our faces.
“We suffer for many reasons, such as fear, rejection and embarrassment, and we begin to resent ourselves.”
Suvana said that being crowned Ms Deaf SA would mean the world to her and bring her so much joy.
“So far the journey has been very fulfilling and as I go through it I am also going through a healing process.
“I want to redefine the parameters of beauty and encourage, empower and uplift women of all races, sizes, disabilities and abilities,” Suvana said.
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Although Suvana is married, she is going through a divorce and her children, Alexis (12) and Alex (5), are her biggest supporters.
“They are even learning sign language with me and it’s so fulfilling,” she said.
If she is named the winner, Suvana said she wants to use her reign to bridge the gap between the hearing and the deaf.
“I want to go into communities and empower women just like me by teaching them self-love above all else and that we are all beautiful,” she said.
Her reign will last for a year.
The unemployed, stay-at-home mom enjoys running, cooking, baking and doing arts and crafts with her children.
“I have been living a lie by believing in my heart that I am not good enough, pretty enough or smart enough due to my situation,” Suvana said.
“I feel that being announced as a finalist was by the grace of God and He gives me strength each day.
“Being a finalist is extremely challenging for me for many reasons, one being that I have to learn sign language, but it has given me a sense of happiness that I have never experienced in my life before.
“It is truly a healing process and the excitement of meeting new ‘deafies’ has opened up a whole new world to me.”
Suvana is asking the Germiston community to support her on her journey.
You can support her by voting for her to win the Public Choice Award.
To do so SMS MDS31 to 47439, each SMS is charged at R3.
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Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za, Leigh Hodgson (News Editor) leighh@caxton.co.za or Busi Vilakazi (Journalist) busiv@caxton.co.za.
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