Introduction
The South African National Deaf Association – North West Province (also known as SANDA-NW) was established by Deaf people specifically Deaf Africans from underserviced urban and rural areas in North West Province. Deaf people struggle for transformation and independence of the provincial Deaf community is not different from the other provinces struggles for liberation. The majority o
f Deaf people (mostly black Deaf people) from urban and rural, most of whom are permanent migrants from other provinces, areas find themselves on the margins of society and economic activity of the province, with black Deaf people having no voice even on matters affecting themselves. This led to the establishment of SANDA-NW as part of the provincial project to ensure the voices of marginalised Deaf people are heard and to ensure self-reliance and independence for Deaf people. The organisation was established after a considerable amount of self-introspection and analysis by affected communities and their leaders. It is on this bases that SANDA-NW was set up to redefine the concept of deafness from the narrow and discriminatory approach previously used by major organisations of the Deaf that are there by name only, to include all persons affected with hearing loss, whether as a result of age, illness, born Deaf or not. This meant deafness from SANDA-NW perspective is addressed from a Human Rights and Universal Access to services, information and opportunities approach for human development. Whether one is using Sign Language or not, the mere fact is that hearing loss implication differs from person to person hence SANDA-NW interventions are based on a holistic solution to ensure universal access to all services and opportunities for all persons affected by hearing loss.
2. Background
South African National Deaf Association – North West Province (SANDA-NW) is a leading independent not for profit, public benefit, provincial advocacy and consumer organisation registered as a Non-Profit Organisation (214-558 NPO) on 30 August 2018 while the Provincial Deaf Organisation founded on 23 May 2015 managed by Deaf people representing North West's more than 30 000 Deaf, Deafened and hard of hearing people in four (4) District municipalities. SANDA-NW was established by a group of previously marginalised Deaf leaders mostly from township, far flung areas of the province following a series of soul searching and fact finding missions and introspection by among others, same Deaf leaders on the lack of developmental and accessible services for Deaf persons in these townships’ underserviced areas of the province where the majority of Deaf people live. SANDA NW's Vision
Empowered Deaf people with equal opportunities and acknowledgement in a North West accessible to all
The vision calls upon SANDA-NW to be catalyst for change and to continuously contribute to efforts and the shaping of the policies of tomorrow for all society.
4. Our Mission
SANDA-NW's mission is to serve as an innovative, responsive and dynamic developmental Deaf organisation that consistently ensures the protection and promotion of the rights, needs and concerns of Deaf people in North West.
• Building capacity in the Deaf sector;
• Influencing public policies;
• Setting the agenda for meaningful inclusive development;
• Provide comprehensive human development services at district and local levels. Through its mission and core business objectives, SANDA-NW functions as a coordinating provincial Deaf advocacy and consumer movement on Deaf human rights, service provisions and policy development and coordination at provincial level.
5. Our Guiding Principles
SANDA-NW's guiding principles reflect our identity of who we are and what we stand for, as individuals and as an organisation. In our quest to achieve our vision and mission, we embrace and are driven by the following guiding principles which shall influence the way in which we interact and engage with our colleagues, clients and stakeholders:
• Accept, welcome and respect diversity including diversity of opinions in a spirit of trust and dialogue.
• Self-reliance, self-representation, self-confidence and independence.
• Place Deaf empowerment and popular participation at the forefront of our actions, activities and behaviours.
• Preserve and promote the status of South African Sign Language as the indigenous language of the Deaf community. Cherish and nurturing of talent and, self-development and, potential of Deaf people to succeed:
• Accountable, responsible and committed above and beyond the norm.
• Recognize and respect the views of the Deaf community.
• Continuously challenge existing assumptions through improvement, innovation and creativity.
• Cooperate with other established organizations and support initiatives aimed at Deaf development on a broader scale.
• Non-racism, non-sexism and respect for Human Rights.
• Social and community awareness in everything we do.
6. Constitutional and Legislative Mandate
SANDA NW, as a NPO Act, derives its mandate to operate and exercise its authority as an organisation from the NPO Act 71 of 1997, as amended, the general membership of the organisation. SANDA NW is also registered as a Public Benefit Organization (PBO) in terms of section 30 of the Income Tax Act.
