MEND’s Hearing Aid Programme
MEND’s Hearing Aid Programme is run and operated by each of our centres and partners in Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Nepal and India. We also offered health camps in Vanuatu and Fiji in the Pacific Islands.
Let us know if you, or someone you know in your country, needs a hearing aid?>>
We accept second-hand hearing aids for recycling – please contact us>>
There is a huge demand for suitable hearing aids in these countries. In the town of Pokhara in Nepal we are aware of a 2500 waiting list of hearing-impaired children, youth and adults who cannot afford to buy hearing aids.
“Our low-cost quality hearing aid solutions make all the difference”
We supply new and used hearing aids. Life is not easy for our patients we experience the struggles of poverty along with suspicion and isolation from their communities. A good hearing aid can make all the difference. Children can attend school, adults can work and support their families.
When we visited a school for hearing-impaired children in the hometown of the Gurkhas. We fitted 10 out of 11 kids with analogue hearing aids who could then hear well. We have another 90 waiting. Even two of the four teachers heard well for the first time.
Would you like to buy a hearing aid for a needy child or adult? Donate here>>
Read about Evans who gave up on school and life till a US$75 hearing aid changed everything>>
Remote Health Camps
Our teams travel to far flung areas in order to assess children, youth and adults who have often never had any medical care. When the mud is not too thick, the rainy season has ended and the snows have melted we visit areas to perform hearing tests as well as other health checks at remote health camps and outposts from the foothills of Everest to the banks of the Zambezi River.
Your donations enables our teams to travel to where help is needed most>>
During our Hearing Aid Programmes we often assess deaf and partially deaf patients who have never had a hearing aid. We source the best quality and best priced aids for our patients.
We learnt from experience that our patients stop using their hearing aids once the batteries die because they can not afford new ones. So we ensure plenty of batteries are available for future use.
“A hearing aid gives a child or adult the chance to hear for the first time!”
Hearing Aids:
- We import a very effective digital hearing aid from China that gives excellent hearing up to 110 dbs hearing loss. Click here to buy this hearing aid.
- We also recycle hearing aids from New Zealand, Australia and Germany. These provide our centres and partners with low cost quality hearing options.
Sponsor a Hearing Aid!
For NZ$60-$100 (around 28-48 GBP, 39-66USD) we can supply a quality new hearing aid to a hearing-impaired child, youth or adult in a developing country who has profound hearing loss and could never afford to buy that life-changing device!
In the countries we work in there is a stigma around a hearing person marrying a hearing-impaired partner. Remarkably a simple hearing aid overcomes this obstacle, allowing the marriage to take place.
While sign language may be an option at a school for hearing-impaired kids, when they go home very few families know how to sign formally.
“The ability to hear, if possible, must be a priority!”
Do you have a hearing aid you would like to donate?
We gratefully accept second-hand hearing aids which our hearing practitioners test, reprogramme and fit to suit our patients needs. These repurposed hearing aids are an important part of our hearing aid programmes around the world. If you have hearing aid/s you would like to donate please contact us – click here>>
New School for Hearing-Impaired Kids at Tamghas, Gulmi, Nepal
Destroyed in the 2015 Nepal earthquake the School for Hearing Impaired Children at Tamghas in Gulmi, Nepal has been rebuilt into a newer, more comfortable and safer design. The earthquake occurred on a Saturday when the children were out of school so no casualties were reported.
After the quake Rob immediately got into action and researched the safest construction for a new school. He decided on the New Zealand ½ round barn design that is durable, light and more resistant to earthquakes.
The school is made from light local materials that are easily carried by porter in this mountainous area. The base has a safe low brick construction (around 1 metre) while the main part of the building is made from light metal poles and corrugated iron painted a lovely bright blue!
The building is two-storeys with the school downstairs and the hostel sleeping and living quarters upstairs.
“So now the kids can learn downstairs and live upstairs!”
We would like to give our heartfelt thanks to the Bundeena community in Australia for their fantastic fund-raising efforts. They organised music, sports, social events and book fairs and the money they raised paid for all of the building materials. An amazing gift to this community of children.
We also wish to thank the very generous Bhusal family of Tamghas who donated the money to buy the children ‘shiny’ new school uniforms.
Click here to view a ‘before and after’ slideshow of the school
It is donations like these that enable MEND to help so many children and adults challenged with disability, like hearing loss, and poverty in Nepal.
“The kids at the school receive education, food, clothing, care and a bright future”
Hearing Aid Programme in Nepal:
- Identification and data base of all hard of hearing residents in Nepal.
- Awareness of hearing aids and ear care.
- Counselling of hard of hearing person and their family.
- Ear checkup by ENT or audiologist for wax, infection or obstruction.
- Fitting of suitable power hearing aid at cost of 30-40% of current retail cost.
- Arrange supply of affordable batteries at 30-40% of current retail cost.
- Set up phone / text/ email / facebook follow-up .
- Set up online sales via facebook for service.
- Set up efficient banking and monthly payment plan for those who are poor who need hearing aids.
- Link with donors and banks who will support the programme and sponsor or subsidise the poorest of beneficiaries.
- Make hearing aid supply a human right of all hard of hearing people in Nepal to hear well if they can and choose to.
Click here to learn about our Orthotics and Prosthetics Programme>>