Aobakwe Tshenge and his proud mother, Ms Mannowa Tshenge, are proud to be part of the CUT family.

Ms Mannowa Tshenge, whose deaf son Aobakwe initially faced numerous rejections at institutions of higher learning, was overjoyed when she received a call from the CUT's Disability Unit informing her that her son had been accepted into the programme he had applied for.

She applauded the university for granting Aobakwe an opportunity to study and allowing him a fair chance to become independent and contribute to the country’s economy in the future. “I have been battling with securing a future for my son. Today, I am the happiest mother, thanks to CUT, the Faculty of Humanities and Mr Mohau Manyarela for granting my son a lifetime opportunity. If I could, I would dance on my head,” she exclaimed. 

Ms Tshenge recounted Aobakwe's repeated rejections from other institutions despite his good results, emphasising the difficulties faced by many students with disabilities.  “As a social worker specialising in disability issues, I understand these struggles deeply.  When you are a parent to a child with disabilities, and you do not fight enough to put them through school, your child will stay home and become helpless. I have been battling; I was frustrated and did not know who to turn to when my son was rejected everywhere because I knew his potential. It was a painful experience to see him losing hope,” she said.

She identified societal attitudes as a significant barrier, stating, “The most significant obstacle that children with disabilities face in our communities is the prevailing rejection and negative attitude towards people with disabilities.  We need to change that narrative,” she affirmed.

Ms Tshenge praised CUT for upholding its commitment to the rights of students with disabilities and expressed sincere gratitude to the university's Disability Unit for their invaluable support.  “After my son was accepted, I cried and prayed at the same time. The relief I experienced was overwhelming.”

She urged parents of children with disabilities to be unwavering advocates for their children.  “I usually tell other parents to fight until what was impossible becomes possible. We, as parents, are the advocates of our children's rights. If we don’t fight hard enough, our children will end up nowhere in life. But we must not lose hope. We must keep fighting, keep advocating, because someone will listen. And when they do, the joy and relief will be overwhelming,” she said.