Empowering the deaf: Keven Govender's mission in Phoenix

What started as a passion to help people who were deaf, turned into a calling for retired Phoenix resident, Keven Govender, a former sign language interpreter for the SAPS and founder of the Phoenix Deaf Club.

Govender has become a beacon of hope since he started the club five months ago and he has had calls from the deaf community in Chatsworth to expand the club to other areas.

Since his retirement, he has made it his mission to assist deaf people with finding employment, and offers his services to them at a church in Brookdale, where he interprets the sermons and holds praise and worship sessions.

The father of one from Stanmore was a sign language interpreter for the SAPS for 25 years.

He said he formed the club after he found that deaf people in his community were being ignored and socially excluded.

In 1988, he enrolled privately for a course in sign language interpretation at the VN Naik School for the Deaf so that he was better able to communicate with deaf people.

“The first time I helped a deaf person was when there was an event in the community. The person loved to dance, and I encouraged him to take part in the dancing competition. He could feel the vibration of the music through the ground and danced amazingly. He won the competition and nobody knew he was deaf. When I asked the host to announce that he was deaf, everyone was in awe of him. At that moment, I knew that more needed to be done to highlight the talents, the skills and the passion that deaf people had,” he added.

Govender said he was on a mission to ensure that people who are deaf had access to employment opportunities as they all shared the same challenge of a lack of income.

“They can do gardening, roti making, cooking, sewing, babysitting, basic care for the elderly, and most of them have formal education and training. But due to a lack of job opportunities, they struggle to cope financially. Their financial burdens are huge. Their disability grants are R2 300. That does not even cover rent for most of them. 

“They also have communication barriers at every public service facility. They cannot go to the mall, take public transport, go to the police station, the doctor, the clinic, the hospital or be treated by emergency medical personnel due to language barriers. I want to change this as it takes away their independence because they have to rely on someone to go along with them for everyday errands or for medical care,” he said.

“I call on security companies to provide light alarms for the deaf, and for the government to make jobs available for deaf people. Religious leaders must also engage interpreters to render services at their events and prayers so that deaf people are no longer excluded from their religious organisations due to language barriers,” Govender added.

He also assisted people in his club by accompanying them to baptisms, the clinic, police station, medical check-ups, blood tests, job interviews and driver licence renewals.

He said this was his calling. The club requires sponsors or donations to kick off their garden service, roti making programme, and seamstress services. 

To assist them, contact Keven Govender on 062 033 2403 or email  [email protected]

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