Located at the agricultural park in Westonaria, just east of Johannesburg, farm workers are diligently planting tomatoes and lettuce. The atmosphere is filled with activity, yet a notable silence permeates the space. This is because the majority of the workers are deaf, communicating primarily through sign language.
The Voiceout Deaf farming collective was founded by entrepreneur Matebogo Victoria with the aim of equipping deaf individuals with agricultural skills and supporting them in securing sustainable employment. Victoria, who herself has a hearing impairment, is acutely aware of the hurdles deaf individuals encounter when vying for job opportunities against those who do not face similar challenges.
During her studies at Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria, Victoria had to have a hearing partner accompany her to classes, as the university lacked proper accommodations for her needs. This struggle for access to education is emblematic of the broader challenges that deaf individuals face across South Africa.
According to Victoria, “The government does not have facilities for communication for deaf people. A lot of deaf people did not finish school. They cannot afford to travel far to reach schools, so normally they decide to leave school early.” Currently, the country has only 44 schools dedicated to deaf education, all of which offer sign language as a subject and not a primary means of instruction. Many of these schools are located far from the students’ homes, which can lead to dropout rates as families struggle with transportation expenses.
After a stint working at Standard Bank, Victoria made the bold decision to transition from corporate life and launch the Voiceout initiative, aiming to foster agricultural expertise among deaf individuals. “I make things simple for them; it feels like family here. They are very happy when they’re here, but the challenges arise outside this space,” she noted.
For Sibongile Maake, the chance to learn agriculture within a communicative environment was life-changing. It has provided her with the means to earn a living and depend less on government disability support. Maake expressed her contentment, stating, “I’m happy working here; it’s a pleasure. I’m learning while earning a salary. I can support myself now.”
Another worker, identified only as John, shared that communication barriers had hindered his job prospects until the Voiceout project opened doors for him. “Communication is always a barrier, so coming here to the farm is much better since I can communicate in my own language, making life easier for me,” he shared.
John and his colleagues partake in various farm tasks, including cleaning, ploughing, planting, and harvesting crops. Due to high demand for their produce, Voiceout Deaf has expanded its reach to include two additional farms, ensuring a steady stream of work. The initiative is currently thriving, supplying fresh vegetables to local supermarkets and chain stores.
Across South Africa, in other regions such as Limpopo and North West, provincial governments are exploring farming as a viable means of training and employment for disabled citizens. The agricultural sector is emerging as a critical avenue for those with disabilities as they grapple with chronic unemployment issues in the nation’s most developed economy.
As Victoria circulates around the farm, overseeing operations that span ten greenhouses, she highlights the difficulties deaf individuals face in grasping specialized terminology used in various industries. The Pan South African Language Board, tasked with upholding sign language standards, recently celebrated a victory with Parliament recognizing sign language as South Africa’s 12th official language; yet, Victoria points out that the board often struggles to keep pace with the quickly evolving language of business.
“The difficulty is that sign language hasn’t developed sufficiently to cover the technical jargon prevalent in specific sectors. This is true for agriculture as well; there are many technical terms that exist in spoken language but not in sign language,” she clarified.
Beyond advocating for institutional change, Victoria aims to motivate farmers to adopt a broader perspective on agriculture. “We need our deaf farmers to think outside the box. They must recognize that agriculture influences the production of various products such as toothpaste, perfumes, and medicines. This is where we need to improvise and communicate with them in the simplest manner,” Victoria concluded.
