Inaugural leadership camp for Deaf youth a resounding success  

DEAFinition, a non-profit company that provide a range of services and funding opportunities to promote equal access for the Deaf community of South Africa, recently held their first leadership camp for thirty school leaver students from Deaf schools in the Western Cape. The three-day leadership camp was held at Back 2 Basics Adventure Camp in Grabouw and was led by a team of Deaf facilitators. “Leadership, Teamwork and Communication were the three core themes of the camp and were effectively included in activities such as: Spider Web, Burning House, Bomber Man, Alphabet Plate and Little Table Mountain,” explains Shubnum Nabbi-Maharaj, DEAFinition Director.

Each of these activities required leadership, teamwork and communication in order to successfully achieve the task’s desired outcomes. During the leadership camp learners were taught about decisiveness, integrity, relationship building, problem solving, dependability and the ability to teach and mentor others. “Our first leadership camp truly was amazing. The students learnt how to effectively work within the framework of a team and how to be responsible for their own thoughts and actions. I strongly believe that this experience will also help them to perform better in school and after school. These learners left the camp with new energy and boosted self-confidence. This camp gave them hope – hope that there is a future for them, hope that they can make a success of their future, hope that there is support and people that believe in them and a sense of community and belonging,” says Nabbi-Maharaj.

Photo: Delighted Deaf learners pictured at the inaugural DEAFinition Leadership Camp.
Photo credit: Troy Panaino

Whilst the leadership camp was hugely beneficial to school-leaver students, DEAFinition believe that Deaf learners from grade 8 onwards would greatly benefit from leadership camps too and are hoping to develop a five year program to achieve this. Following on from this, their long-term dream is to host a national South African camp for the top leaders from around the country.

“There is a huge need for leadership development in Deaf schools across the country and as such we would like to run more leadership camps nationally. Western Cape was our pilot camp and we are planning leadership camps in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng next. We already have many learners from these regions eager to secure a place for these upcoming camps,” says Nabbi-Maharaj.

If you would like to sponsor a Deaf learner or are able to donate items towards goodie bags such as torches, caps and/or bags please contact Mariska de Beer on info@deafinition.co.za or 087 063 8920. Section 18A certificates will be issued for all donations accordingly. Video of the Leadership camp: