With every smell, taste and feel, Desmin Miwin van Staden (52), a deaf chef from Vredenburg, flourishes in the kitchen.
Born in Namibia, he was age 3 when he got ill, which led to his deafness. This did not stop him from achieving his dreams, nor did it place any limitations on his life.
September is Deaf Awareness Month, a month for paying attention to attendant triumphs surrounding deafness, a practice instituted at the first world congress of the World Federation of the Deaf, which took place in September 1951.
Van Staden shared that his journey to a keen, productive life started when he attended Wittebome School of the Deaf in Cape Town at the age of 4. He realised he had a love for cooking at a young age.
To perfect his craft, an opportunity through Sanlam Head Office in Cape Town arose, a funded training course in culinary skills was presented for people with disabilities, an opportunity he grabbed with both hands.
Starting at Life West Coast Private Hospital, Van Staden spent more than a year there before settling at Vredenburg Provincial Hospital for the past five years. Being in the culinary field and making food his passion, communicating in the kitchen is not without its challenges.
“My workplace does not allow one to be on one’s phone and work with food, as it is not hygienic. I, however, try to lip-read and show signs or gestures. I use gestures for potatoes, rice and meat and display this to the staff on my team.
“Sometimes they forget the signs, but I still show them to make it easy for all of us. I am proud to be deaf and can do anything a hearing person can do. When I am making food, I am completely focused and do not become distracted.”
With his heightened senses, Van Staden said he can smell when the gas is open, probably better than mos,t and can instantly taste when a dish is not complete.
This journalist herself has experienced the results of his skills, which are expressed in the way he smells every ingredient distinctively to identify it, and a great palate that incorporates a taste in good wines.
It is truly inspiring to see how Van Staden’s world works, and encourages those who observe him at work or experience the fruits of his endeavours to see the bigger picture.
Van Staden encourages every young person, especially those who are deaf, to stay positive and should not let hearing people tell them it is impossible. “If I can do it, so can you,” he added.
