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05 September 2022 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo Supplied
Moleboheng Moshe-Bereng
Moleboheng Moshe-Bereng, Senior Marketing Officer in the University of the Free State School of Financial Planning Law.
Moleboheng Moshe-Bereng, Senior Marketing Officer in the University of the Free State School of Financial Planning Law, was honoured at the Southern Region Women in Media Awards (SRWIMA) for her outstanding and inspiring work to encourage excellence in academics. “It was an absolute surprise and honour, because at times you don’t think that people out there take note of you or the work you do,” expressed Moshe-Bereng.

The award ceremony, which was hosted at the President Hotel on 27 August 2022, was well attended by women doing inspiring work in various fields. Moshe-Bereng, who was invited to speak to women about financial planning at the awards ceremony, was surprised by one of two platinum awards for her continuous work to encourage and inspire academic excellence. “I am still overwhelmed, because even on the different platforms I use to speak about education, I do so out of passion and I don’t realise how many people are actually listening,” she stated. What is more, the recipient of the other platinum award is radio legend Mamontha Modise-Motaung, who Moshe-Bereng considers the voice of her entire childhood. “I was shocked, humbled, and honoured to realise that Mamontha Modise-Motaung was the other recipient of the platinum award.”

The importance of the Southern Region Women in Media Awards 

The Southern Region Women in Media Awards (SRWIMA) was established by the Free State Empowerment Institute for Women in 2021 as a means to develop and empower women in the media. “The awards are about acknowledging the achievements of women in the media industry who are not always the face of things – such as scriptwriters, camerawomen, technicians, and marketers,” Moshe-Bereng explained. Furthermore, she maintains that these awards are imperative, because they allow women to see other women doing inspiring things. “One of the speakers runs a school where she teaches and mentors aviation technicians. As a woman, I never thought that there were other women doing things like that; seeing it on a platform like that is incredible,” she stated.

Although the ceremony is grounded on empowerment and development, it is special to Moshe-Bereng due to the fact that it is also based on representation. “It shines a light on what is possible for a female child, but most importantly, a black female child,” she expressed. Therefore, the existence of initiatives such as these is important. She says, “I think we live in a world where, even though the opportunities are said to be there on paper – to achieve things, we compete with each other so much – to a point where we are not always giving each other a pat on the back.”

News Archive

UFS hosts sign language workshop to educate parents
2017-05-22

Description: Sign language workshop to educate parents Tags: Sign language workshop to educate parents

Back row; from left; John Keitsemore from
Bartimea School for the Deaf; Philip Cook,
the headmaster at De la Bat School for the
Deaf in Worcester; Jeannie Cook, De la Bat School
for the Deaf; front, from left; Marisa Vermeulen, mother
of two deaf children and teacher at Bartimea
School for the Deaf in Thaba Nchu; Marianne Kühn,
audiologist, and Susan Lombaard, acting Head of the
Department of South African Sign Language.
Photo: Rulanzen Martin

“Ninety percent of deaf children are born into hearing families. When parents first receive the news, they are shocked, angry and confused,” says Susan Lombaard, Acting head of the Department of South African Sign Language at the University of the Free State (UFS).

The department hosted a workshop, “Early intervention options for the child with a hearing loss”, on Friday 12 May 2017 on the Bloemfontein Campus. “It is the first time a sign language workshop of this kind was hosted by the Department of South African Sign Language at the UFS,” says Lombaard, who facilitated the workshop. They hope to make it an annual event.

Parents of deaf children do not always know how they will communicate with their children or where the child must attend school. The workshop aimed to provide parents with the necessary information on different communication options and also touched on school placement.

Support group for parents established
A support group for parents was also established, the first of its kind in the province. It will provide much-needed support, information and guidance for parents of deaf children.

Some of the speakers at the workshop included Anri Esterhuizen, an audiologist; Marianne Kühn from the Carel du Toit Centre, Marisa Vermeulen, who is a mother of two deaf children, and Phillip Cook, the headmaster at De la Bat School for the Deaf in Worcester, in the Western Cape. Jeannie Cook, also a presenter, provided information on sign language acquisition of the small deaf child, which is done through creative play.

Professionals have responsibility
South African Sign Language is a language in its own right and is not international. “Sign language is a visual language with its own grammar and syntax different from spoken language,” Lombaard said.

There has been much controversy surrounding teaching deaf children to speak and teaching them to sign. “We as professionals have the responsibility to provide information on all options. This is to help the parent make informed decisions about communication and school placement.”

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