More than 300 deaf children and adults from Mngqesha village near King William’s Town received hearing aids and for the first time could hear sound yesterday.
Villagers, teachers and school children from St Thomas School for the Deaf spent the day at the Mngqesha Great Place where they were fitted hearing aids by a team of 20 members from the American Starkey Hearing Foundation.
Co-founder Tani Austin said they had been helping people to hear in South Africa for the past 14 years thanks to their partnership with agent Medifix, a Johannesburg company which identifies people who need help.
Medifix Hearing Systems is a family run business with over 30 years of experience manufacturing and distributing Starkey hearing aids to healthcare professionals in South Africa and Africa.
“We believe everybody deserves the right to hear so we help children and adults who are deaf, have impartial hearing or other hearing challenges.
“Medifix does the first phase: screening, identification and taking ear impressions. We are here implementing phase two, fitting the hearing aids and ensuring that each suits each individual according to their hearing requirement.”
Austin said hearing was subjective and it was important to give each person individual attention so they could cater for their specific needs.
Each person received a hearing aid at a cost of more than R13000 per person, including a year’s supply of batteries.
“We just get the level of sound right and people often get used to hearing and register sound and words more. This is the beginning of amplification.”
Audiologist Chalese Buttars, who had been testing the children’s sound levels, said they were very receptive.
“It’s wonderful working with the children, particularly because they are so excited and although some are struggling to imitate me as I test them, they are doing well.”
Director of the Diocese of Grahamstown Anglican Church’s social responsibility programme, Tony Schnell, said they had engaged with Medifix in identifying beneficiaries of the hearing aids.
Austin said they would return again next year to ensure that the children were taking good care of their new hearing aids. — mbalit@dispatch.co.za
Hearing aids bring joy to hundreds of KWT villagers
Villagers, teachers and school children from St Thomas School for the Deaf spent the day at the Mngqesha Great Place where they were fitted hearing aids by a team of 20 members from the American Starkey Hearing Foundation.
Co-founder Tani Austin said they had been helping people to hear in South Africa for the past 14 years thanks to their partnership with agent Medifix, a Johannesburg company which identifies people who need help.
Medifix Hearing Systems is a family run business with over 30 years of experience manufacturing and distributing Starkey hearing aids to healthcare professionals in South Africa and Africa.
“We believe everybody deserves the right to hear so we help children and adults who are deaf, have impartial hearing or other hearing challenges.
“Medifix does the first phase: screening, identification and taking ear impressions. We are here implementing phase two, fitting the hearing aids and ensuring that each suits each individual according to their hearing requirement.”
Austin said hearing was subjective and it was important to give each person individual attention so they could cater for their specific needs.
Each person received a hearing aid at a cost of more than R13000 per person, including a year’s supply of batteries.
“We just get the level of sound right and people often get used to hearing and register sound and words more. This is the beginning of amplification.”
Audiologist Chalese Buttars, who had been testing the children’s sound levels, said they were very receptive.
“It’s wonderful working with the children, particularly because they are so excited and although some are struggling to imitate me as I test them, they are doing well.”
Director of the Diocese of Grahamstown Anglican Church’s social responsibility programme, Tony Schnell, said they had engaged with Medifix in identifying beneficiaries of the hearing aids.
Austin said they would return again next year to ensure that the children were taking good care of their new hearing aids. — mbalit@dispatch.co.za
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