Ladakh Camp and Study program: July – August 2015

We go about our daily life, hearing enough of our communications to be an active part of our community.

If we can not, we can choose to get help.
Not so for a 25 year old lady, Spalzes, who was hit so hard on the head by her teacher when she was 15yrs old, that she lost her communicative hearing levels. She came with a caring friend, 48 hrs in a bus, nursing a very old power aid, with a broken mould. Spalzes did not want us to touch it, it was so precious. Thanks to the kindness of those who send good aids to us, she could hear her friend from the far corner of the room, speaking normally. Two reconditioned aids, discreetly behind her ears, new temporary moulds and impressions taken for custom moulds. Tears of relief, joy and gratitude masked expressions of appreciation. A voluntary donation into the box, and plans made to collect the moulds, excitedly they went on their way.

It was time for us to pack up. This was our third camp, in the Ladakh region, with their hearing device successful outcomes now 156. This camp, Keshab cleaned and treated and screened 300 persons, in 6 days. 25 people were returning for aid upgrades and repairs and there were 53 new fittings. About one quarter were ladies and of the returning villagers, half were less than 60 yrs of age. With new fittings, 75% were over 60 years old, as this year they bussed people in from the Tibetan refugee village.
Other causes of hearing loss included being kicked in the head 20 yrs ago by a horse, a bomb exploding while in the army, a misguided fire cracker, ear infections and illness, but most commonly, it just happened “naturally”. Such is their acceptance of their life’s events.

Next year’s camp will be held again at the Ngari Institute in Saboo. It will again be a training focused camp and will additionally include Sue from Australia, Saraswati from Nepal and hopefully Antje from Switzerland. We have undertakings that the Tibetan Medicine Nunnery will send advanced students and the newly appointed clinic manager, Bhalu, will be ‘brought up to speed’ by our trainee of two years, Dorje.
I have made it very clear to the organisers that their ‘applause’ for our ‘compassion IN action’ program now must be converted into their ‘compassion IS action’- such that the program offers services through their clinic all year round. It is their turn now and they must do more, all year, for the program to offer maximum benefit.

Audientes meeting

Storebaelt meeting

On a more relaxed note, nearly one year ago, we agreed with our German partners that they could sponsor Keshab on a training program in Germany, associated with the supply of advanced testing and aid fitting equipment. I said I would privately escort him there after the Ladakh camp in India. We had a meeting in Copenhagen with a dedicated team developing a hearing device for developing countries, and they were interested in our program trialing of their product.
Keshab has worked so hard, maintaining our Health and Hearing program and simultaneously offering relief to earthquake victims, while others were still planning their response. Now that the relief is more organised, we can return to our core functions. Keshab has richly deserved a break.

In Denmark, we met with ‘Audientes’ team, with productive exchanges. Thanks Tobias, Claus, Hossein and of course Henning. We have responded with our thoughts and now await final development.
Michael at A/S Storebaelt, then introduced us to his organisation and conducted us to the top (254 metres) of the main pylon of the third largest bridge in the world,1.6 klm free span. Keshab can no longer claim that he “has not seen the sea”! He has also seen the curvature of the earth!Henning, from NepaliMed Denmark, who since 2011 has worked with the Dhulikhel Hospital in Kathmandu valley, Nepal, has organised for IT equipment and training from Michael and his associates at Sund & Baelt to be installed at the hospital, and Michael is preparing another container with IT and medical equipment for dispatch at year’s end.

Himalayan Health and Hearing was awarded for its support to the hospital during the earthquake relief program, and we look forward to exploring how else we can work together in hearing related activities.

Keshab and I also found time to have fish and chips at Tivoli! Thanks Copehagen, in order of appearance, Berit (in spirit only, as she is in Tibet!), Henning, Tobias, Clause, Hossein and Michael!

A fast train to Berlin, a fundraising day organised by Percy, of Hören-Helfen e.V. and the handover of Keshab to Antje and Percy followed. Percy organised training in fitting hearing aids with a complete new AURICAL +FREEFIT +System, sponsored by Otometrics Germany. Keshab’s response : “From this training I can fit better hearing aids than previously, in this measurement box and oto fit we can measure the hearing aids and give a good fit to the people. I hope people get more satisfaction than in previous fits.” Keshab travelled by bus to Markus in Speyer. His Facebook pages tell all. Well deserved, Keshab…enjoy!

On my way home, I met with our supporters in Moscow, Andrey and Anastasia. We addressed their local group, who responded warmly. Increasing awareness of our program results in encouragement and donations that lift us new dimensions, enriching our motivation to benefit the most we can.
Finding solutions for relieving the suffering of hearing loss involves all people from all places, and so encompassing a global team, co-working with Himalayan Health and Hearing is our way of doing our ‘bit’.
Henning gave Keshab and I a book “Infinite Vision” By Pavitra K Mehta and Suchitra Shenòy about how the development on the institution of Aravind – involved in restoring sight to millions in India, has become a case study for “building of institutions that release the best energies of the human spirit” – It makes a profit, supplies compassionately based services, subsidised to so many, and uses locally sourced employees, locally trained for culturally appropriate service delivery. A beneficial read!

What doing?

Our earthquake relief program continues with the restoration of the deaf school at Dhading. We carefully select our targets for funding, maximising the benefit of your donations.

NAHOH is conducting morning and evening signing classes, boosting communication skills.

Keshab is facilitating a local initiative to place disabled young persons in a room provided by a local school, where their parents will take it in turns to care for them. Some have also been dislodged by the earthquake. Tibetan doctors are funding construction of a kitchen. We support the Nepali people finding their own solutions, and are happy to coordinate such activities.

We have three more camp series planned for this year, Sikkim, Lumbini and Dhanusha, with seven or eight remote sites listed. For our remote sites to be successful, we need the latest technology inspired instruments that are compact, robust and use little power. We have standardised our equipment for these trips, and will purchase two more complete sets prior to heading ‘for the hills’. With an emphasis on training locals to maintain the program, we will equip them accordingly. Donated “retired” equipment has a real function in base sites, but consumes too much power for remote activities. We use solar panels and a motor bike battery and inverters so that we are not restricted in our service delivery by the remoteness of the area.

Fundraising notes:

And new to our fundraising is the world famous “Gold Coast Benji” he befriended Blackbear and Rachel, has sent a generous donation and is full of good ideas for future fund raising.

Jodie and Edward have enlisted more family into this year’s fun run for HH&H – checkout http://run.gofundraise.com.au/page/CompassionInActionHHAH#.Vb8u1vQT0FY.email
And please consider chipping in a quid to support them (and us!)