Mafikizolo vocalist and businesswoman Nhlanhla Mafu recently opened up about her struggle with hearing impairment. She admitted that she was embarrassed about admitting that she could not hear properly.
Sharing Her Journey
Nhlanhla took to her Instagram to share a clip of her opening up about her hearing journey. She has partnered with LS Audiology Hearing & Balance to share information regarding hearing loss as part of their Hearing Health Awareness Campaign. Since June, she has been sharing her visits to the audiologist on social media.
In the clip, Nhlanhla shared that she felt embarrassed when she had to do interviews and her partner Theo had to repeat the questions for her. She also mentioned that when surrounded by friends, she would laugh at what they were saying without actually hearing a thing. “I had to be agreeable to everything because I can’t hear. I was really embarrassed to say I’m having this problem until I realized I’m doing this for my own good,” she said.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cugw6niqUNm/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=580b367c-14f2-4b58-94a7-627564f8334f
Support from Followers
In the comments section, many of Nhlanhla’s followers opened up about their own personal journeys and those of their family members. One follower wrote, “I just want to give you a nice warm hug mama. Thank you for sharing your journey. All the best.” Melanie Bala commented, “I really admire your sharing this with us sis. My mom has hearing loss in her one ear, and it’s amazing how you learn to compensate for it, and navigate the world, especially when you haven’t shared it with anyone else (yet). Kudos to you.” Another follower added, “I wish my dad could watch this. Not us spending close to 20k to get him those hearing aids that almost look invisible and he’s not wearing them. He says he doesn’t want people to see he has hearing aids. Why is it so embarrassing? I will never understand.”
Nhlanhla Mafu’s openness about her struggle with hearing impairment has resonated with many of her followers who have shared their own experiences and offered support. By sharing her journey, Nhlanhla is helping to raise awareness about hearing loss and reduce the stigma associated with it.