Solu Khumbu – Chailsa – Thubten Shedup Ling Monastery and Mount Everest School
March 23 – 30th 2016
This our 5th visit to the Solu Khumbu region – our first was in 2011.
- 178 adults & young ones – Primary ear care
- 29 hearing aids fitted
- Total fittings -124 aids
Transport: The local Paplu airstrip has been upgraded- they filled in the hole to the underground stream, and sealed the strip-no more hairy two day jeep ride. A five hour wait for the haze to lift at Kathmandu was ok, as it meant the final couple of hours trek up to the monastery was in the cool of the afternoon.
Education program at local school – Saraswoti
Saraswoti, a highly qualified Nepali teacher has joined our team. She has attended two training camps, the latter with Antje, our program trainer from the heart of hearing technology, Switzerland….and now after gaining experience in the Kathmandu valley…her first remote school – Mt. Everest School.
Education for mothers an
d babies – Saraswoti
Keshab shows a mother her child’s discharging ear, and Saraswoti explains to the mothers different ear problems. Keshab attributes breast feeding while lying down to middle ear infections in the small children….Western mothers are not convinced!
Who is our Star? Samjana of course! The darling of our Solu Khumbu program was born with incomplete external ear components (Atresia) which makes it difficult to hear unless people shout (Severe flat loss about 70dbHL). We fitted Samjana with her first bone conductor in 2011, and she has simply worn out several sets since. She is now 13, in grade two at school and so happy. No longer confined to home life, caring for farm animals, she has the opportunity to choose how she makes her way now!
In our first clinic in 2011, we fitted aids from our clinic, Whitsunday hearing, and our range became limited by the end of each visit. But now, thanks to all of you in clinics around Australia and indeed also Germany and Switzerland, we can bring enough aids such that we have the matching aid for losses presented. And so, Muge and daughter Teji were so excited when dad could hear the rustle of plastic, and speech clearly, when normally spoken from a distance. Thanks for collecting the aids, checking them and sending them to us…thanks from those in remote lands, who would not be fitted otherwise!
Two days far away…no wonder Jumani’s son bought a box of batteries! They have responded to the local FM radio broadcasts of our program, and walked through the ‘hills’ and forests to receive your kindness…you the reader, donor and compassionate supporters.
Late entry….Kamal arrives at sunset, having been walking since sunrise. He has his mother’s power aid, she is unable to make the journey. We retube the mould, change the aid casing and hook, clean and check it…and off he goes again, into the darkness….
Training local clinic staff in primary ear care and hearing device maintenance
Tsering is employed by the local community as a health worker in the local clinic built by a lady Dr Spela from Slovenija. Himalayan Health and Hearing supplies the camp drugs, leaving any remainder. Ear syringe equipment, hearing aid maintenance gear and spare moulds and batteries are left with Tsering. Our scheduled return is two years.
We collect ‘donations’ for the hearing devices and charge for the hearing aid batteries at cost. We believe that if possible, recipients should pay a token amount, in order that they may care better for their aids. Any funds raised will go towards playground equipment for the little ones, as they don’t get a go on the bigger swings!
Our gratitude to all our supporters…that how it can happen!
Himalayan Health and Hearing has a face book page where you will see reports of Keshab and Saraswoti’s work.
lew,
secretary HH&H
