After the ear camps in Sikkim in November (read more here) Sue returned to Australia and lew and keshab returned to Kathmandu to run a series of ear camps and a training camp for new members of the Himalayan Health & Hearing team.
Shechen –HH&H Kirtipur Nunnery camp
Monthly visits with the Shechen doctor, Nurse and Pharmacist are a good reason why less cases arise with each visit…a true sign that the health of the community is improving. Eighty two patients came this time, receiving free diagnosis and medicines.
Shechen- HH&H School camps
Weekly visits to Government schools keep health and hearing issues awareness current, again with the support of the Shechen Clinic and Hospice health teams. We have just employed a full time teacher, Saraswati, to travel with them, charged with the task of going into every classroom, and holding spirited discussion with the kids on ways to protect their hearing and improve ear health.
Fluffy friends – Govt. pre-school -Bishow Rastra M.V at Kirtipur
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All shapes and sizes of fluffy friends are collected in Australia, and handed out to kids who would not otherwise have these aids to imaginative play.
Finger puppets – donated by Jude from Ethos, in Cannonvale, Australia also bring similar joy. The puppets were hand made in Africa and so the circle of benefit is something quite amazing.
We estimate that over one thousand fluffy critters have made the journey to Nepal and India…1000 smiles!
Training Camp
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Training our trainers to visit schools- Hearing screening-Ear pathology screening and referral
Bahlu (a monk from Ladakh), Saraswoti (a teacher from Kirtipur), Kamala (from the Community Family Welfare association in Dhanusha), Keshab and lew…our third training camp begins. This one is to train the trainers that will go out and become hubs for primary ear care centres in Ladakh, southern Nepal and the poorly serviced areas around Kathmandu.
Their roles will include visiting schools, checking ear health and referral for medical treatment, hearing screening in preparation for our ear camps and training others in their area in to spread awareness of basic ear care and availability of safe solutions to problems found.
Manang villagers come down from the mountains to our hearing camp
As it is so cold in the village, many have grabbed the opportunity for a visit to our hearing camp sponsored by the International Guest House in Kathmandu. ( We are so pleased to add another ‘local’ to our sponsors list.)
As news travels, others also attended from Swoyambhu and the Kathmandu bakery that is run by hard of hearing persons. Thirty hearing aids were fitted in three days of camps. Several young people came believing they had no hearing, and left with innovative solutions that would allow social interaction without those big powerful aids hanging on the ears!
We are doing a lot of research, to find the best lifestyle outcomes , which many times are not necessarily the best clinical fit! An interesting combination of counselling, BTE hearing aids and body aids, that helps our visitors to leave with practical and acceptable solutions.
Nepal’s Fuel Problems
Indigenous protesters blockading fuel supplies define themselves (as indigenous) by having a “sense of community – feeling of ‘we’, ” as distinct from those in opposition with a predominate “sense of self”. May a “common sense” solution be quickly found!
Meanwhile, a thriving fuel supply black market has emerged alongside the government ‘s rationed supply, and 40% of the vehicles are back on the roads.
Keshab has bypassed the fuel issue by taking to a bike – getting fit while getting the work done! This of course only works around KTM – still need vehicles to transport equipment for ear camps!
Thanks so much to all those hearing centres sending in your refurbished aids…notably from Bay Audio clinics, Australian Hearing Canberra and Braddon, Bernafon, Audio Clinic, Cannington, Bonus Hearing, Port Macquarie Acoustics, Alice Audiology, Adelaide Digital Hearing Solutions, Bloom Hearing , Hearing Life AND all you kind people who continue to send batches as they become available. We have big plans…based on your BIG support.
(If you are not mentioned above, please accept our grateful thanks to everyone who sends aids, and in time I will give you all a guernsey!)
All shapes and sizes of fluffy friends are collected in Australia, and handed out to kids who would not otherwise have these aids to imaginative play.
Finger puppets – donated by Jude from Ethos, in Cannonvale, Australia also bring similar joy. The puppets were hand made in Africa and so the circle of benefit is something quite amazing.
We estimate that over one thousand fluffy critters have made the journey to Nepal and India…1000 smiles!
Training Camp
Training our trainers to visit schools- Hearing screening-Ear pathology screening and referral
Bahlu (a monk from Ladakh), Saraswoti (a teacher from Kirtipur), Kamala (from the Community Family Welfare association in Dhanusha), Keshab and lew…our third training camp begins. This one is to train the trainers that will go out and become hubs for primary ear care centres in Ladakh, southern Nepal and the poorly serviced areas around Kathmandu.
Their roles will include visiting schools, checking ear health and referral for medical treatment, hearing screening in preparation for our ear camps and training others in their area in to spread awareness of basic ear care and availability of safe solutions to problems found.
Manang villagers come down from the mountains to our hearing camp
As it is so cold in the village, many have grabbed the opportunity for a visit to our hearing camp sponsored by the International Guest House in Kathmandu. ( We are so pleased to add another ‘local’ to our sponsors list.)
As news travels, others also attended from Swoyambhu and the Kathmandu bakery that is run by hard of hearing persons. Thirty hearing aids were fitted in three days of camps. Several young people came believing they had no hearing, and left with innovative solutions that would allow social interaction without those big powerful aids hanging on the ears!
We are doing a lot of research, to find the best lifestyle outcomes , which many times are not necessarily the best clinical fit! An interesting combination of counselling, BTE hearing aids and body aids, that helps our visitors to leave with practical and acceptable solutions.
Nepal’s Fuel Problems
Indigenous protesters blockading fuel supplies define themselves (as indigenous) by having a “sense of community – feeling of ‘we’, ” as distinct from those in opposition with a predominate “sense of self”. May a “common sense” solution be quickly found!
Meanwhile, a thriving fuel supply black market has emerged alongside the government ‘s rationed supply, and 40% of the vehicles are back on the roads.
Keshab has bypassed the fuel issue by taking to a bike – getting fit while getting the work done! This of course only works around KTM – still need vehicles to transport equipment for ear camps!
Thanks so much to all those hearing centres sending in your refurbished aids…notably from Bay Audio clinics, Australian Hearing Canberra and Braddon, Bernafon, Audio Clinic, Cannington, Bonus Hearing, Port Macquarie Acoustics, Alice Audiology, Adelaide Digital Hearing Solutions, Bloom Hearing , Hearing Life AND all you kind people who continue to send batches as they become available. We have big plans…based on your BIG support.
(If you are not mentioned above, please accept our grateful thanks to everyone who sends aids, and in time I will give you all a guernsey!)
