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SASL Star: Peet Jacobs

22 September 2021 | Story Michelle Nöthling | Photo Supplied

Peet Jacobs is no stranger to the Deaf community in and around the UFS and Bloemfontein. He has been working at the University of the Free State (UFS) for the past six years, and he is still amazed at the amount of support our institution provides to Deaf students in particular, and to South African Sign Language (SASL) in general. “They provide excellent interpreting services,” Peet says, “not only in face-to-face classes, but also on different online platforms, as well as interpreting pre-recorded lectures and videos.” And as a SASL interpreter, Peet is an integral part of this service.

But signing is not merely a day job for Peet. He carries his skill into the community in his spare time, where he assists as an interpreter at hospitals, doctors’ rooms, and psychiatrists’ offices – to name but a few. What gives Peet the deepest satisfaction, however, is when he can combine his love of Sign Language with his love of the Bible and his God. It was actually Peet’s devotion to his religion that inspired him to learn Sign Language in order to enable him to carry the Word of God into the Deaf community. Peet now also presents Bible courses in SASL and assists a non-profit organisation to produce SASL Bible-based publications, which are translated and recorded in video format.

Peet aspires to become an authority on SASL subject-specific vocabulary related to subject in higher education. “Sign Language is a language in its own right,” Peet points out. “The uniqueness of Deaf culture and the variety of dialects within SASL give the language diversity and colour.” Peet goes on to emphasise how important it is that SASL is recognised as an official language in our country. “This recognition will give dignity to a group of people who have been marginalised in South Africa. This will also pave the way to providing more inclusivity and service to the Deaf community.”

Until then, Peet will continue to serve the best way he knows how: through signing.

News Archive

ABSA sponsors Sports Weekend at the UFS Qwaqwa Campus

2004-09-23

Mr Banny Macholo Retail Banking Services Manager: ABSA (Student Bureau Bloemfontein) , Mr D T Zoko Sports Officer (UFS Qwaqwa Campus), Ms P Rabotapi Social Worker (UFS Qwaqwa Campus) and Mr Timmy Mohlakoana Retail Banking Services Manager : ABSA (Qwaqwa Branch)

In spite of the gale force winds and dust on the weekend of the 17th September, the University sporting clubs braved it in a sports gala at the Qwaqwa Campus of the University of the Free State. The sporting codes comprised soccer, netball, basketball aerobics, chess, volleyball, dance, athletics and body–building.

ABSA Bank donated R15 000.00 to facilitate the event, which began with indoor activities on Friday 17th and continued through Saturday with field sports and more indoor contests.

On behalf of ABSA, Mr Banny Macholo RBS Manager Student Bureau Bloemfontein and Mr Timmy Mohlakoana RBS Manager Phuthaditjhaba, attended the sports day. They said that the relationship that has been developed between ABSA and the UFS Qwaqwa Campus during this event, has been very profound and helpful to our immediate community, which is very rural and poor and from which most of the students are drawn They also assured the organisers that ABSA would seriously consider making it a yearly event.

Media release

Contributed by Ms Jabu Dakile

Senior Liaison Practitioner

UFS Qwaqwa Campus

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