Community Engagement


September – Deaf Awareness Month

Our department celebrates September as the International Month for Deaf People by hosting various outreaches and fun activities.
 

A standout moment in 2024 was our visit to Bartimea School for the Blind and Deaf in Thaba Nchu. This unforgettable day was filled with joy, connection, and creativity. Children took part in games, painting, and storytelling, culminating in a beautiful poster created by the Deaf learners—an expression of hope, inclusion, and pride.

Bartimea visit 2  Bartimea visit 1  Bartimea visit 3

We also had the incredible opportunity to visit the Bloemfontein School of Autism. We played games with the children and introduced them to a few basic South African Sign Language (SASL) signs, which they eagerly embraced. The interaction was more than just educational—it was a celebration of inclusion and mutual respect. Witnessing their curiosity and enthusiasm reminded us of the power of communication and the importance of building bridges between communities. It was a heartwarming and unforgettable experience for all involved, reaffirming our commitment to inclusive education and Deaf awareness.

BSA 1  BSA 2

Annual Philippolis Multilingual Public Speaking Competition

The Annual Philippolis Multilingual Public Speaking Competition is the first of its kind in South Africa. The competition aims to encourage multilingualism in communities while at the same time instilling pride in the participants and their language(s). It was first held in 2013 as part of the MIDP project, but in 2015 became the joint project of the ULFE and UFS Community Engagement Division. This project continued when the ULFE and the department amalgamated.

Schools from the surrounding areas of Philippolis are invited to participate. The theme of the competition usually centres on heritage and culture. Participants speak on their chosen topic in their mother tongues, which includes SASL, Sesotho, Setswana, isiXhosa, and Afrikaans.

We are proud of this flagship project, and of the enthusiastic participation from participating schools.
 

Early literacy for Deaf children and their parents

Our early literacy project for Deaf children and their parents on the South Campus continues to have a profound impact on foundational learning and language development.

Signals Student Association

Our student association, Signals, works closely with our staff to raise SASL awareness both on campus and in the wider community, championing a truly inclusive environment.

Adam Kok Language Route

The MIDP V project was concluded successfully at the end of 2013 with the launch of the Adam Kok II Route at Philippolis, only one of several highlights of the project. Adam Kok II was one of the best-known Griqua captains. The route entails a tour on foot through the historically important town Philippolis (situated in the Southern Free State), and was developed around important places of interest, which can be linked to the historical presence of the Griquas in the area. The Griqua nation developed from the merging of a number of roaming Khoi tribes, Free Burghers from the Cape and runaway slaves and soldiers from the Dutch East Indian Company.

After the discovery of diamonds in the Kimberley area during the 1860s, the Griqua people were relocated from Griqua Town, where they had been united by the British missionaries, to Philippolis. (In fact, the town is named after Dr John Philip from the London Missionary Society, a missionary that is well-known in South Africa.)

Sights of interest along the Adam Kok II Route include, amongst others, the current Dutch Reformed church, Chief Adam Kok’s council chamber and house, his kraal and the Griqua canons, a later gift from the British rulers.

The route got national media coverage in 2014, amongst others in the travel magazine Weg / Go and on Pasella, an Afrikaans TV journal programme.

The Adam Kok II Route was established at Philippolis in order to provide work to three local Griqua tour guides, as well as to highlight the historic Griqua presence in the town.

The guides received training and they were used for the launch. To date, they have acted as guides for a number of tourist events.


 
 

FACULTY CONTACT

T: +27 51 401 2240 or humanities@ufs.ac.za

Postgraduate:
Marizanne Cloete: +27 51 401 2592

Undergraduate:
Katlego Mabulana: +27 51 401 2495
Juanita Hlongwane: +27 51 401 3269

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