Sunday, March 23, 2014

Hearing Aids - ROTI project with RC of Galesburg, Illinois supported by TRF.

This project which is supported by ROTI and is a MG with RC of Galesburg, Illinois has seen many people hearing for the first time. Giving great relief to elders and parents and children.

A camp was conducted in a village close to Chennai to identify those with hearing impairment, hearing aids were distributed by DG AP Kanna on March 7th.

It was heartening to note that this project has been instrumental in changing the lives of so many and in so many different ways. One would think how an hearing aid would benefit the elderly BUT it does. An elderly lady said that she would now be able to walk on the roads peacefully as she could hear the traffic and more over she would be able to enter into conversations with her friends as she could hear and then respond. She would no more be set apart because of hearing difficulties.

Should the hearing aids go to those who are young? to those who will benefit the most? Should we disregard the elderly who are nearing their end? or those who are too ill to move around? At this distribution function an elderly man was given a hearing aid and he later told me that he would no longer have to avoid his friends, neighbours and nor would they avoid him and he would now be able to converse with them. I doubt if we will ever realise the pain of the hearing impaired at whatever age.

So much more needs to be done...






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