Kathmandu School for the Deaf

Update: May 9, 2006 (Kathmandu School for the Deaf)

Update: May 11, 2006 (Rotary International)

Update: May 11, 2006 (Starkey Hearing Foundation)

Update: May 25, 2006 (Kathmandu School for the Deaf)

Update: May 25, 2006 (Hear In Kentucky Hearing Centers)

Update: June 1, 2006 (Hear In Kentucky Hearing Centers)

Update: June 3, 2006 (Hear In Kentucky Hearing Centers)

Update: June 4, 2006 (Hear In Kentucky Hearing Centers)

Update: June 5, 1006 (Hear In Kentucky Hearing Centers)

Update: June 6, 2006 (Hear In Kentucky Hearing Centers)

Kathmandu School for the Deaf

With the support of the Starkey Hearing Foundation and the Rotary Foundation, Hear In Kentucky Hearing Centers is proud to support hearing care for the Kathmandu School for the Deaf in Kathmandu, Nepal. This is not support in name only, as this effort involves not one but two trips to Nepal by our staff.

About Nepal

Nepal is a gorgeous land that lies between China in the North and India in the South and has a population of about 28 million people. It is and country of enormous physical contrasts and great poverty. More than 90% of the population lives in rural areas and depend on subsistence farming, which is difficult since much of the country is unsuitable for cultivation. The literacy rate and unemployment rate in Nepal are around 45.2% and 42% (2004 est.), respectively. In addition, Nepal is one of the least developed countries in the world with only 15% of the people having access to safe drinking water.

Nepal is further disadvantaged as the Nepalese health-care delivery network is poorly developed. This is largely due to the poverty of the people (annual income of Nepalese is around 180 U.S. dollars), terrain of the land, inadequate transportation system, and a very limited number of available healthcare providers. It is apparent that health care is not accessible to the majority of the people, as seen in the statistics below provided by the International Federation of Hard of Hearing People:

Ø  There are 30 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) physicians in the entire country or one ENT physician for every 600,000 people

Ø  Ear surgeries are only done in Kathmandu (the capital of Nepal) and Pokhara (about 125 miles from Kathmandu)

Ø  There are 3 audiologists in the entire country or one audiologist for every 6,000,000 people

Ø  16% (2.7 million people) of the Nepalese population above the age of 5 years have suffered from either otitis media or its sequalae

Ø  More than 55% of the otitis media cases were seen in school going children

Ø  Every fifth case of hearing impairment in adults is caused by otitis media

Ø  Every second case of hearing impairment in children (between 5 to 15 years) is caused by otitis media

Ø  About 1.7% (360,000 people) of the population have severe to profound hearing loss

Ø  More than 35% of the hearing impairment could have been prevented

Our Objective and Goal

Our objective is to provide effective action by making hearing healthcare available to as many hearing impaired children as possible in this underserved country. This will support our long-term goal of preventing a lifetime of disability for these children. We understand all too well that when hearing is impaired, it can restrict employment, recreational and social activities. Hearing loss compromises an individual's safety by hindering appropriate responses to alarms and warning signals such as doorbells, smoke alarms, and sirens. Permanent hearing loss also contributes to psychosocial and physical health problems resulting in job and revenue loss, depression, and social isolation. We want to reduce if not eliminate these negative effects of hearing loss.

Why the Kathmandu School for the Deaf?

Unless humans are exposed to language in the early years of life, they lose much of their innate ability to learn a language and especially its grammatical system. These skills appear to develop best in a world that is rich with sounds, sights, and consistent exposure to the speech and language of others.

Data shows that children with severe to profound hearing losses that do not receive early identification suffer from substantial deficits in reading comprehension. When these children are 8 years of age, they are already almost 1.5 years behind their peers. That gap continues to widen over time, with the average deaf child or youth never exceeding a fourth grade reading level.

Furthermore, today's work environment requires intense use of communication and information skills and technologies. Late identification of hearing impairment results in individuals who lack the appropriate language skills to compete in today's job market. Therefore, the individual who has a communication disability or disorder is at a disadvantage.

For individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, hearing aids or other assistive technologies will facilitate their ability to have an equal opportunity academically, in the workplace and in society. Early identification of deafness or hearing loss is a critical factor in preventing or eliminating language delay in children who are deaf and hard of hearing. Early identification also allows appropriate intervention to begin while the developing brain is best suited to the acquisition of grammatical rules and best able to absorb language.

The Kathmandu School for the Deaf currently has about 300 students and almost none of them have hearing aids. We intend to provide hearing aids to all of the students who are able to benefit from them. We are also making provisions for mainenance and follow-up care for all the hearing aids we fit. Once we have successfully completed our objective and goal, the classrooms that are mostly silent will be filled with the sounds of children laughing, talking and enjoying the hearing aids we provide for them.

How You can Help

This mission will cost about $70,000. With the support of people like you, we will reach this goal quickly. Listed below are ways you can support our efforts in Nepal.

1.    Donations of used hearing aids can be made at any of our hearing centers;

2.    Financial contributions (tax deductible) can be made though the following charitable organizations:

Ø  Bellevue Rotary Club at PO Box 523, Bellevue, WA 98009. All checks should be made out to "The Bellevue Rotary Foundation" with "Nepal Hearing Aid Project" written on the memo line. All financial donations made through the Bellevue Rotary Club will be matched dollar per dollar by Rotary International.

Ø  The Starkey Foundation; or

Ø  Sponsorship of a specific child (visit any of our offices and pick a child from our "mountain of need")

We are grateful to have the support of the Bellevue Rotary Club, The Starkey Foundation and people like you. We hope to be able to expand our work with deaf children in Nepal in future years. Please check back for updates on our progress.

Update: May 9, 2006 (Kathmandu School for the Deaf)

Hi Greta!

Dr.Bimal has completed ear exam.He has examined 257 students including deafblind students.Some of the students have not come back yet. He will be back on 29th of may for cleaning of wax and for other necessary treatment for two students who have got pus. 33 students need wax cleaning. Karna is doing audiometric test these days. It should be over by the end of this week.

Rest is fine.Take care

Indira

Update: May 11, 2006 (Rotary International)

Hooray! We have approval for the matching grant from the Rotary Foundation! Congratulations to all involved and thanks to everyone who played a part in helping get this grant in and approved!

Once all of the club & district funds have been sent in, it takes around another 4-6 weeks for the funds to be paid out. However, that's all a formality now and we can start planning for the hearing aid mission trip. I think we can still prepare for a trip next fall or after the first of the year (which is my preference, as my wife Gina and I would be able to participate).

Yours in Rotary,

Rob Rose

Update: May 11, 2006 (Starkey Hearing Foundation)

CONGRATS TO ALL!!!!

Aug.-Sept. would be best for SHF, as after that we are booked solid until Spring 2007. Seems weather and school wise it would be ideal as well!

SHF plans on having 2 participants, seems natural to schedule together with our leader Greta ;-)

Hugs to all,

So The World May Hear

Frederic

Update: May 25, 2006 (Kathmandu School for the Deaf)

Dear Greta

The other friend who will be assisting you with my wife is her collegue, MD in ENT Head and Neck Surgery.

I requested them to help you while you are here and they are more than happy to do so.

I don't think they have done anything that you all will be doing together. I am sure they are fast learners and you will all enjoy each other's company.

Thanking you and looking forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely
Suraj

Update: May 25, 2006 (Hear In Kentucky Hearing Centers)

For everyone's information: I have not just 1, but TWO ear doctors lined up to help me make impressions of the kids' ears! I will have to teach them a little first, but at least they know ears (VERY well!) to start.

This is sounding like more and more fun!!!

Best,

Greta

Update: June 1, 2006 (Hear In Kentucky Hearing Centers)

Our team left Louisville today on the first of two trips to Nepal.  While In Nepal next week, they will make ear impressions on about 300 children from the Kathmandu School for the Deaf.  Once the ear impressions have been processed, a second trip will be made to fit the children with hearing aids. 

Update: June 3, 2006 (Hear In Kentucky Hearing Centers)

Well, I made it here safe, the trip here was flawless.  Devi met me a the airport--how wonderful to see a familiar face!  And she stayed with me all day. 

That's all for now, I hope you all ae doing well.

Love,
Greta

Update: June 4, 2006 (Hear In Kentucky Hearing Centers)

Hello, everyone!

I woke up early this morning, 3:30 AM--thanks to the encouragement of a big black crow in the tree outside my window.  Of course, as soon as it was light he flew off, but it was too late then for me to get back to sleep!  Oh well, I feel pretty rested, which is the most important part. 

I went to the School for the Deaf yesterday and checked out the equipment from Starkey, everything looks in good order, and we have a good room to use.  (Rob, upstairs next to the library--what a wonderful room!!).

My ENT "assistants" will meet me at the hotel at about 9:30 for a lesson in how to do impressions, then the school driver will pick us up at 10:30.  Apparently 10AM is the general business starting time.  So we will start on the impressions this morning.

I took a look at some of the kids' audiograms yesterday.  Mostly profound hearing losses, quite a few corner audiograms, a couple are in the moderate range.  When there is an air bone gap there is only one ear marked.  I asked Mr. Karna, the audiologist who did the testing, about it, and he said that he tested BC for the better AC ear.  It was difficult to have a conversation over the phone about it, so I will try to talk to the ENTs about it to see what they know about the situation. 

I am feeling pretty settled now, and like I can take care of myself if I have to.  I now know how to tell a taxi from a private car, which is a plus! I had some time yesterday before dinner to wander around the local shops, and chatted with a nice older man about his Tibetan paintings--simply AMAZING handwork!!          

I am sure some of you have heard rumblings of political stirrings here again (though I am not sure of the details).  I don't see ANY signs of disturbance or trouble here.  I heard about the maoist gathering on Friday, and saw the field where they were headquartered, but there was no violence, and no sign they had even been there.  I feel completely safe!!

I had my first cross-cultural "light bulb" yesterday, talking with Suraj about seeing a man in a wheelchair in the middle of traffic: not by the curb, in the MIDDLE of traffic, with motorcycles zipping around him.  Suraj said something like "there is noplace else for him to go.  The handicapped are very well integrated here."  Of course!  Sidewalks are erratic here, there was literally no other way for him to get around.  Ellie also added that the Nepali way is acceptance, or trust, or fatalism, depending on how you look at it: if they are in an accident, that accident was SUPPOSED to happen: "Ke garne" (what to do)?

That's all I have to report right now, more news as it develops. I hope you all are doing well!!

Best,
Greta

Update: June 5, 1006 (Hear In Kentucky Hearing Centers)

I have fantastic assistants making earmolds (who gave me a jewelry box and 2 necklaces as a gift!), we got over 100 kids done today.  Hope to finish up the main group tomorrow, then if we have time, work on the deaf-blind kids and fitting a couple of teachers who are good candidates.  I want them to be "experienced" by the time the kids get their instruments.  It was really interesting being in a room with two other languages in common use, and I didn't know either one (Nepali and Sign).  It's a good thing I knew what I was doing, and didn't need to understand them!  ;-)   I was also happily surprised to hear the deaf kids laugh out loud: several of them.  They are really good kids, and seemed interested in what we were doing.  Some who were waiting in line watched us through the windows, and they signed to each other throughout.  But when we came over to work, they sat at attention, no messing around!       

Went to a Rotary Club meeting to give a short report on the hearing aid project, everyone seemed appreciative and interested.  They voted to thank me for it, at least!  :-)   Afterwards Indira (director of the School) and I went to Mr. Pandey's home to socialize and have a cup of tea, that was very enjoyable. 

That's about all I have to report right now, overall things are going very well.  I've got a groove. 

Best,
Greta

Update: June 6, 2006 (Hear In Kentucky Hearing Centers)

Most impressions are DONE.  Fit 4 teachers this afternoon with instamolds & BTEs, all left with HUGE smiles on their faces . . . even the one with NO RESPONSE AT EVERY SINGLE FREQUENCY.   He not only responds to his name when he can't see the speaker, he can localize someone speaking behind him!  Today I worked a miracle, tomorrow I do impressions on all 12 children that also had no response across the board, that we previously thought "don't bother".  Frederic has the BEST job in the world!!! Of the teachers I fit, the one with the best hearing, 70dB+, is talking now.  I was privileged to see an impromptu speech therapy session after they all were wired up--what a treat! 

It was a pretty awesome day.  Tomorrow I fit the 4 deaf-blind students, losses ranging from 40-70 dB: these kids HEAR.  Leaps above the others!  They will be calmer in the morning, better time to work with them.  Busy, busy busy!  

-Greta