News & Special Events
Giving the Gift of Communication to the People of Kenya
In a humanitarian effort, our founding audiologists, S. Jane Kirksey, Au.D., and Suzanne Noonan, Au.D. will be traveling to Masai Mara in Kenya, Africa this August to evaluate and treat hearing loss among the indigenous tribes in Kenya. Dr. Kirksey and Dr. Noonan have collaborated with Linda Friedman of Custom Safaris. Ms. Friedman has been arranging safaris for over 20 years and has been awarded the Conde Naste Top Travel Specialist for 2003 through 2009.
Besides her great knowledge of Africa, Dr. Kirksey and Dr. Noonan were impressed by Ms. Friedman's extensive efforts to help the people of Kenya. Her company purchases and customizes the jeeps for the safari guides and drivers in Kenya, many of whom are equity partners and have been with her company over 20 years. She recently helped distribute 3000 sanitizing water “straws” to help control dysentery among children. In addition, she has become involved with two schools in the area.
Enkereri Village School is housed on a two-acre piece of land on the Western Great Rift Valley Escarpment located three kilometers from Masai Mara's Olololo Gate. The school enrolls children from 4 years to 9 years and goes up to second grade. Five teachers educate a total of 96 pupils - 49 boys and 47 girls.
Emurtoto Primary School is located 5 kilometers from the Masai Mara's Olololo gate, near the small village town of Kawai. Nine teachers educate 229 pupils at this time - 130 boys and 99 girls. The school includes first grade through eighth grade with children ranging in age from 6 to 16 years old. Custom Safaris Trust has a running scholarship scheme with the Emurtoto Primary School. Yearly, the best male and best female student gets a full scholarship to a boarding school where they will be able to complete a high school education.
When Dr. Kirksey and Dr. Noonan learned how a simple thing like using the straws to help with dysentery had made a huge impact on the overall improvement of the children's health, they wanted to offer help in their own way. While in Kenya, Dr. Kirksey and Dr. Noonan will be based out of the schools and will use portable equipment to screen the hearing of all the students in both schools. Children who fail the screening will receive a complete audiological evaluation. They will provide personal amplification devices to the schools for the children who are diagnosed with hearing loss. Dr. Kirksey and Dr. Noonan will also clean ears as needed and provide education on ear hygiene. During their time spent in Kenya, Dr. Kirksey and Dr. Noonan will be establishing a basis of knowledge and logistics for later phases of assistance, including hearing device fittings.
Dr. Kirksey and Dr. Noonan are excited to be able to offer their expertise in order to make a difference in this community. If you would like more information on their efforts, please contact Hearing HealthCare, Inc.
Articles
- Purchasing Hearing Aids on the Internet
- Causes of tinnitus and what you can do about it.
- Some useful strategies when communicating with people with a hearing loss.
- How hearing loss can affect your Marriage.
- Some basic information on Bone Anchored Hearing Implants
- Things to remember before purchasing hearing aids.
- Tips to help hearing aid users in noisy environments.
- Benefits of Binaural Hearing aids.
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Hearing HealthCare, Inc. Newsletter - Summer 2010
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