Africa-Press – Lesotho. The Ministry of Social Development has lately pressed on a need to accommodate the vulnerable communities in skills development initiatives and public services.
The same point has been emphasized by the associations of the differently abled especially the Lesotho National Federation of Organizations of the Disabled (LNFOD).
As such, some members of the community have taken the matter into their hands to impart skills and open platforms for up skilling of the disabled community.
Informative Newspaper
had interviews with a Sign Language Interpreter Sebabatso Sefero and the Founder of Mamello Special Needs Centre Kefuoe Angelina Nkuatsana, who have dedicated their lives for the betterment
of the society. For her part, Nkuatsana said she founded the school to cater for children with special educational needs. She noted that kids with special educational needs need
extra help to do their school work, these special needs refer to learning difficulties that hinder or make children’s learning difficult in a classroom
setting. “I became a teacher to make a difference, to me, there is nothing better than helping students reach their full potential ability, all kids are
unique in their own special way and all kids are gifted,” she stated. She revealed that she deliberately called the school Mamello, which means patience.
“To work with kids, one has to be patient, which is the only thing that can help unleash
potential in all kids. Every child is special, every child is gifted, and they should not be compared,” she insisted. Located at Naleli, Mamello Special Needs
Centre admits children who are slow in learning, Autistic, have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), numeracy problems, gifted and moody and those
who are dyslexic as well as other cognitive barriers to education. Sefero has also had a special consideration to the minority group form childhood. She
says; “My passion for sign Language and deaf people was triggered by my background. Growing up, I used to draw water for the elderly people who were usually deaf or blind.
That routine made me fall deeper in love with people living with disability. ” She then opted for a career where she can serve as a humanitarian, studying Sign Language Interpretation in 2016 at St Joseph of
Mount Royal; a school that combines both the deaf and the hearing students. “I interpret in Sesotho and English. With this rear skill I am not aiming for
profit or payment because I still have my other profession as I am also a Limkokwing University of Creative Technology graduate. I always say to myself,
deaf people should not pay or struggle in order to get information same, hence I wanted to break the communication barrier between the death world and hearing
world,” she said. She spares her time to serve them at different services. “I go with them to their churches to interpret for them so much that within a day I attend two or more church
services at different places. I also interpret for them in their private affairs and at public services. A practical example is an occasion where I had
to attend a hearing meeting with a deaf person who had a conflict at her work place. I have also attended a talent show held by Seven Adventist where I was
the interpreter”. Asked about her vision for the future of the death, Sefero said she wishes there could be more sign language interpreters at church services and at institutions of
higher learning. She appreciated initiatives like the newly built centre for Intellectual Disability and Autism Lesotho (IDAL). “The disabled really need support on their human rights,” she charged.
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