After overcoming difficult obstacles, a young deaf man who was abandoned by his father at birth receives an honors bachelor’s degree.
AFRICA | After overcoming difficult obstacles, a young deaf man who was abandoned by his father at infancy receives an honors bachelor’s degree.
After overcoming many obstacles, including his father’s abandonment at birth, Uulenga Naapopye, a young deaf man, graduated with honors from the University of Namibia (UNAM) in Windhoek with a bachelor’s degree.
Despite the challenges he faced throughout his life, Namibian Naapopye showed incredible perseverance and dedication by earning a bachelor’s degree in education.
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Naapopye discussed his path to success and how his father’s desertion influenced his ambition to provide a better future in an interview with UNAM Forum Online.
After learning I was deaf, my father left my mother and me after visiting the hospital after I was born. This upset me as a child because I never saw my father for years, and there were difficult moments when I truly needed him,” he said.
He was lucky, though, to have a loving, strong mother who stood by him. According to Naapopye, his mother made sure he had a good education by getting him enrolled in a special school where he was taught the fundamentals of communication.
From 1999 to 2013, he attended the National Institute of Special Education, a school for students with visual and auditory impairments. His experience was greatly facilitated by the fact that all of the teachers there were proficient in sign language.
After that, Naapopye moved to Cosmos High School, an inclusive institution, where, with the assistance of two interpreters, he finished grades 11 and 12. He still had difficulties in spite of this assistance because not all classes had interpreters available.
Naapopye had originally wanted to study engineering after graduating from high school, but he was unable to complete the prerequisites.
In order to help other deaf children get a quality education and have a brighter future, he persisted in his decision to get a degree in education.
But I wasn’t going to let that dissuade me from continuing my education.
In order to set a positive example for other deaf children growing up and show them that they too may have a better future, I decided to pursue school,” he stated.
According to Naapopye, he had difficulties during his tenure at the university. The dearth of interpreters made research particularly challenging for him in his third year.
He added that he was also hampered by financial issues, since he had to deregister for two years when his Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund student loan was suspended.
Naapopye returned to UNAM in 2020 and finished his degree in spite of these obstacles.”I returned to UNAM in 2020 because I knew I was almost done, and I’ve finally earned my honors degree,” he stated.
He acknowledged his joy at making his mother proud and conveyed his sincere appreciation for her unwavering support. “I am grateful to God for providing me with the strength to finish my studies, and I feel very happy,” he stated.
According to Naapopye, he aspires to change the world like other disabled people have, and he finds inspiration in their achievements.
“I have hope for the future and hope to teach and inspire hearing-impaired children that they can accomplish anything and reach any level of success they desire,” he stated.
