Campbelltown resident Kelvin Mbogo shares his story for National Week of Deaf People

Campbelltown resident Kelvin lost his hearing as a child and since moving from Africa to Australia he has had to learn both English and AUSLAN. He shares his story for National Week of Deaf People.

When Kevin Mbogo was just eight years old, he became deaf. Then almost 10 years later, he made the move from Africa to Australia where he had to learn not only English but Australian Sign Language too.

National Week of Deaf People is running until September 25, and Kelvin shared his story with The Macarthur Chronicle to encourage the community to focus on the ability, not the disability.

Born in Africa, the 25-year-old had hearing as a young child but became severely unwell when he was about eight years old, and became deaf. To this day, he is not sure what the exact cause was.

“The medical support there was not great, but my mum started signing to me and communicating with me and I loved connecting with people, but it was hard,” he said.

Kelvin came to Australia almost 10 years ago, after his mother passed away, to live with his father in Australia. But, moving here meant he needed to learn both English and AUSLAN.

Kelvin Mbogo.

“I had two sisters here as well, and when I first moved here to Australia I thought I would give it a go but I didn’t know what it would be like,” he said.

“The culture here is very different, it took me some time to adjust to my life here ... I love Australia now.

“When I moved here first here, I only had a tiny bit of English ... I had to try and work out what everything meant because the language was so confusing.”

Kelvin went to Robert Townson High School in Raby but found it overwhelming as both the written language and the sign language were so different to what he knew.

He said that he needed to work extra hard to learn the language, and it had taken a lot of time and determination to get where he is today to make sure he can communicate.

Kelvin got the job at the Cosmopolitan Living warehouse in Campbelltown after looking for work for about three years.

“WISE Employment have been so determined to find me employment,” he said.

“I worked as a chef in a restaurant and I really enjoyed it but I stopped because there was bullying and I had a bit of trauma.

Kelvin Mbogo pictured with his WISE support staff, including interpreter Sharon Xabregas (far left).

“I was trying to find a new role and I didn’t want to do cooking anymore because of that experience, and I got this job and it was really different but luckily WISE supported me.”

Kelvin said he was grateful for the team at WISE, especially the translator Sharon Xabregas, and also his employer for helping make it all happen. He said a year at the warehouse has gone so fast and it’s been “mind-blowing” to realise how much he has learnt.

“I am keen to keep learning and get my forklift licence which will happen soon,” Kelvin said.

Having employment has meant the world to Kelvin, who said he appreciates that someone gave him the chance to show what he can do. He said it is important to try and include people wherever possible.

AUSLAN translator Sharon Xabregas, who is also deaf, has worked as in employment support for nearly 20 years and met Kelvin through NDIS.

“It made me so sad to see that no one was willing to see this beautiful person because I knew it would only take one person meeting him to know what a hard worker he would be,” she said.

“I was so excited when he got this job and I knew that he would flourish.”

SUPPORT IN THE WORKPLACE

Hayley Fuller is a support consultant with WISE Employment who works with clients with disabilities who have been working for six months or more.

In Kelvin's case, most of the role has been around helping him communicate with his employer and putting in measures to help him do his job.

“With the Employment Assistance Fund, we organised with them to have some lights installed so that when traffic approaches the lights come on, as he cannot hear them,” Ms Fuller explained.

“It’s the same with the forklift, we had lights put on it so he knows when to move out of the way or stand still.

“I also come out regularly with an AUSLAN translator to just to help with the communication between him and his employer. They have a system of communicating, but having the translator just makes sure we are not missing anything.”

Kelvin Mbogo pictured with his employer, Audrey Lee.

Ms Fuller encouraged employers to consider ways they could be more inclusive when hiring people, adding people should focus on the ability not the disability.

Audrey Lee, the director of Cosmopolitan Living, said working in a warehouse is a role many people do not want to take on due to the physical labour.

However, she added, Kelvin had come in with a willing attitude to learn, a strong work ethic and a smile from day one.

“We are a very new business but we are for the good causes so when we can help people we want to do it,” Ms Lee said.

“Kelvin is so switched on and willing to learn and it’s opened up my mind a bit to realise that when you present people with the opportunity they work hard.”