Famous Sowetan is Casual Day ambassador
Famous Sowetan is Casual Day ambassador
Simphiwe Mkhize, the 33-year-old actress who became a household name playing a deaf attorney in SABC2′s Muvhango, has been appointed as a Casual Day ambassador to represent the project and create awareness around disability. Casual Day is on 5 September 2014.
Casual Day has welcomed several new ambassadors aboard to raise awareness around the project and its aims. “Our ambassadors are persons with disabilities or people who have dedicated themselves to fighting for the rights of persons with disabilities,” says project leader Celeste Vinassa. “They speak from experience and knowledge about disability. It’s called ‘self-advocacy’.”
Born and raised in Soweto, Simphiwe is profoundly deaf and is currently working as a co-ordinator and facilitator at eDeaf, where her responsibility includes teaching South Africa Sign language and ‘deaf culture’ to hearing people, facilitating sensitizing and bridging program training for the deaf people in various companies. “I am also a part time facilitator and manual developer at Wits Language School teaching South African Sign Language.”
A third year Sign Language Linguistics student at Wits, she is passionate about education. “I specialise in teaching South African Sign Language (SASL) to both deaf and hearing students and professionals,” she explains.
Casual Day is South Africa’s most successful fundraising project for persons with disabilities – and the amount raised for last year has climbed to R24.8 million. Sponsored by The Edcon Group, Casual Day is the flagship project of the National Council for Persons with Physical Disabilities in South Africa (NCPPDSA), which this year celebrates 75 years of service to the community of persons with disabilities.
The project raises funds by selling a R10 sticker, which allows wearers to dress up in the theme, which is ‘Bring out the Bling’.
Simphiwe will be using her skills and passion for the advances the rights of persons with disabilities to promote Casual Day. An extrovert, Simphiwe is a people’s person and deeply caring. “My curiosity led me to take the journey of self-discovery towards finding my purpose in life, regardless of my deafness and I proved that it is not a stumbling block.
“I am passionate about the empowerment of others to enhance the lives of all. I continuously aspire to inspire those around me to become the best they can be. My purpose is to use the medium [of sign language] to create awareness and open the world’s eyes to that of the deaf world,’ she says.
“I have a role to play in creating a better understanding and provide access to deaf people. In addition to teaching, I am passionate about empowering deaf women and youth in terms of education, life skills and leadership capabilities, and being a role model to them, helping them to accept their identities as Deaf people as a whole.”
The beneficiaries of Casual Day include the Deaf Federation of SA,
SA National Deaf Association and the National Institute for the Deaf, as well as the National Council for Persons with Physical Disabilities in SA, South African National Council for the Blind, South African Federation for Mental Health, Autism South Africa, Down Syndrome South Africa, National Association for Persons with Cerebral Palsy, Alzheimer’s South Africa, South African Disability Alliance and QuadPara Association of South Africa.
Stickers are available from:
Edgars, Jet, JetMart, Boardmans, CNA, Red Square and Legit;
Absa outlets;
Game and DionWired stores;
Shoprite and Checkers stores; and
Casual Day national office on 011 609 7006.
FB: www.facebook.com/casualdaySA
Twitter: @CasualDay_SA
#BringouttheBling
#CasualDaySA
Caption: Casual Day veteran ambassador Khumo Moyane, new ambassador Simphiwe Mkhize and Simon Manda.
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