Alberton Record
Enter the #SilentWalk&Run today
The event drew more than 1,500 participants last year and is expected to continue growing.
You can buy your tickets at foundationneema.org/silent-walk-run
The event on September 14 will be held at the Marks Park Sports Club in Emmarentia, Johannesburg.
“September is Deaf Awareness Month. The aim is to encourage everyone to learn SA Sign Language, include the deaf community in mainstream society, and support deaf victims of GBV,” said Itumeleng Motaung, the foundation’s chairperson.
The event is also part of International Week of Deaf People (September 23 to 29) in remembrance of the first World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf, held in September 1951.
The goal is to promote an understanding of deafness and deaf culture to narrow the communication gap between deaf and hearing communities.
The City of Johannesburg, in collaboration with the Neema Foundation for the Deaf, will host the run.
The Gauteng Department of Education, Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, the CoE, the Safer South African Foundation, and the GBVF Response Fund support the event.
“Sports remains one of the primary vehicles for breaking down the barriers that separate us from one another. The #SilentWalk&Run is an excellent initiative that teaches us to embrace each other, ultimately fostering trust and unity as we forge ahead in building a socially cohesive Gauteng for all. I call on everyone to participate in this great initiative,” said the Gauteng MEC for Education, Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Matome Chiloane.
The Gauteng Department of Health will facilitate a health check day, offering convenient vital health screenings for deaf participants with the support of sign language interpreters.
Hearing health screenings for the hearing community will be conducted for the first time.
The #SilentWalk&Run will start at 08:00 to accommodate participants coming from afar.
It promises a fun-filled experience, including a fun walk/run, with opportunities to learn sign language through activities along the route.
The event activities will include:
• a deaf masterclass;
• silent aerobics and yoga;
• an information exhibition;
• an arts and crafts market by learners with special education needs;
• various entertainment by deaf persons;
• a children’s play area and much more.
Participants from the hearing community are encouraged to walk alongside their deaf peers to raise awareness and reduce the barriers and stereotypes in communities and organizations.
For inquiries, email Fatima Cele at [email protected] or call 078 457 5705.
