Hearing Impaired Humanities Student at the AfricaGeo Summit

BY: .

Humanities student Mr Emmanuel Khuzwayo, who is hearing impaired, recently attended the AfricaGeo 2014 Summit in Cape Town.

‘Being at the Summit was a pleasant, adventurous and informative moment for me,’ said Khuzwayo.

‘I was able to explore the future of Geomatics and the nexus that Geography has in developing people’s needs and decision making, especially in Africa as the theme of the Conference was “Developing Geomatics for Africa”.’

Khuzwayo gained practical knowledge on the use of Geographic Information Systems and the vast opportunities available for Geomatics students. The summit managed to introduce delegates to processes and development of Geomatics by giving them an opportunity to choose between sessions they found relevant for their career interests.

‘The programme agenda was split into four different venue sessions and delegates were then given an opportunity to choose based on interest. This split gave me an advantage since this setting reminded me of my lecture attendance timetable.’

Khuzwayo also gained practical knowledge in Geographic Information Sciences, the development of the Rural Development Framework and the pressing Land Tenure debate in Southern Africa.

‘With the development of Geomatics, I feel strongly that Geomatic graduates should be supported and provided the necessary skills for investment in a successful economy of Africa and social integration. The scope of the summit was aligned almost exactly to the module structure at UKZN. So for the first time I was clearly introduced to the issues I study,’ he said.

Khuzwayo believes that summits are important, especially for science students who get an opportunity to learn practical work. ‘I advise fellow students to grab such opportunities because our future as the youth lies in our potential and also of how much we want to contribute to development of our governments. I hope that UKZN continues investing in their students for the development of the University and assurance of the Transformation Charter. All students with disabilities should believe in themselves and go for these opportunities.’

-          Melissa Mungroo