Leena is 10 years old and studies in a Government school. She is unable to hear. The hearing aid she uses breaks down frequently and leaves her frustrated, since she cannot follow what's going on in class. She needs a hearing aid that will not give up on her and make her miss classes. Leena is bright student and applies herself well to her studies. Without a good hearing aid, her disability leaves her socially isolated and takes an emotional toll. Improving her hearing will transform her life.
Leena has been denied the opportunity of a good education because her current hearing aid fails her. Lack of access due to her disability means Leena cannot actively participate in class or interact with her teachers and friends. She has to rely on her parents or friends to speak for her. Also, not hearing means she spends much more time trying to understand her lessons and lags behind her class. There are two other hearing impaired children waiting to get ahead just like Leena.
Giving Leena a newer, more reliable hearing aid, will make it easy both for her as well as her teachers and classmates to help her understand lessons, work on them and progress in her studies. She will feel included if she is understood by others and can understand what they are saying. Leena will not need to rely on someone else to speak for her or translate.
The three children who will receive hearing assistance through this project will become independent and move forward to greater inclusion in school and in the community. This will also remove the burden on their parents and others in the family on whom they depend. Who knows what Leena will achieve, and how many lives she may have a positive impact on, once her hearing aids empower her to reach her full potential?
