Hillcrest’s Simoné breaks barriers for the deaf

IN the build up to Miss Deaf South Africa 2019, Hillcrest’s Simoné Ebersohn has launched a heart-warming project to empower and enrich the learners at KwaThintwa School for the Deaf.

Simoné was diagnosed with a profound hearing loss on her second birthday and it was later established this was caused by a virus that damaged the hair cells on her hearing nerve.

She received a cochlear implant in her left ear before she turned three as even the most powerful hearing aids were unable to provide her with sufficient hearing for speech recognition.

Although she enjoys a degree of hearing in her left ear, it is difficult for her to hear in an environment with too much background noise.

Without her cochlear sound processor, she is completely deaf. She also depends on visual cues and lip reads, to some extent.

Simoné attended a main-stream high school and experienced periods of bullying until she became a prefect in matric.

It was at this point was became recognised for her great leadership skills and only then did she feel she received the acceptance and respect she longed for.

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After she matriculated in 2013, Simoné began her studies and, in her free time, took on a part time job and enrolled in volunteer positions. Now 24, she is in her final year for management assistant through Oxbridge Academy.

Simoné entered the Miss, Mr & Mrs Deaf South Africa Pageant in 2018 and was crowned second runner-up.

She entered the pageant as she found herself at a place in her life where she did not feel she fitted in anywhere.

As the only deaf person in her family, and without many deaf friends locally, she often didn’t feel she belonged in the world of the hearing.

As a finalist and ambassador for Miss Deaf South Africa 2019, she strives to create awareness for the deaf and also does charity and fund-raising work.

She is currently a volunteer at Fulton School for the Deaf where she assists teachers in the classroom.

She attended a few events through TalkSign in Durban and felt moved to visit the learners at Kwathintwa School for the Deaf in Inchanga.

The school has 364 full-time boarders who come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, some come from single parent families and a substantial number are orphans.

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KwaThintwa relies heavily on donations and sponsorships to ensure the learners’ most important needs are met.

A very proud fact about the school is that their learners have had, and wish to maintain, their 100 per cent matric pass rate.

Simoné launched a campaign to collect items or funds to purchase balls, skipping ropes, crayons/roll-ups, reams of white and coloured paper, wooden blocks, toy cars, baby dolls and educational games.

The learners are in desperate need of beanies and scarves as they usually have only the bare necessities to keep them warm.

To see the school’s wish list of items, contact the school’s audiologist, Caitlyn, on 031 783 4005.

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