Education Bangladesh Project #13537

Open a World of Hearing to Children in Bangladesh

by World Concern

Open a World of Hearing to Children in Bangladesh

Project Report | Dec 17, 2013
Your gifts are helping students learn to speak

By Cathy Herholdt | Communications Officer

Asad teaches a student to speak, with your help

You might remember a photo of a young Hear School teacher in our last report. His name is Asad. I wanted to tell you his amazing story, and thank you for how you’re helping change the future of hearing impaired students like him.

From the time Asad first learned to communicate, he dreamed of being a teacher so he could help other hearing impaired children speak, just like he had.

When Asad was born, his parents were hopeful their son would become a doctor someday. They were concerned when, at two years old, he still couldn’t speak and didn’t respond to sound.

The village doctor assured the family that he was normal. But an ear, nose, and throat doctor recommended a hearing test. The family travelled to Dhaka for the test in 1990, and young Asad was diagnosed as severely deaf. He was referred to a special school in Dhaka, but his family couldn’t afford it.

When they heard that World Concern was opening a Hear School for deaf children in Barisal, Asad’s parents took him there. Assessments showed profound hearing loss. The staff recommended hearing aids and orientation classes for his parents. The teachers were confident Asad could learn to communicate with treatment and special education.

When he started at the Hear School, Asad could only say simple words, like “mom,” and communicate through gestures. But with compassionate training, Asad started speaking in complete sentences. Soon, he was also able to read English and solve math problems easily.

Asad eventually integrated into a mainstream primary school. He passed all ten classes with good grades, and in 2008 he was admitted to college.

Asad kept in contact with the Hear School even after graduating, talking with and encouraging parents and students with his story. He had become skilled in computers, and writing in both Bangla and English.

When one of the teachers at the Hear School resigned, Asad was hired, fulfilling his dream of becoming a teacher for deaf students.

Now, he’s able to share his success and encourage children who are struggling to communicate, just like he was. Asad is grateful that donors like you are changing the future of young hearing-impaired students today.

Asad encourages parents of deaf students in class

Asad is grateful that donors like you are helping

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Sep 19, 2013
The lasting impact of being able to communicate

By Joseph Lee | Communications Liaison

Jun 20, 2013
Imran can communicate with the world now

By Cathy Herholdt | Communications Officer

Imran works in a local tailor shop.

When Imran was just 9 months old, he developed a fever, and eventually pneumonia. He recovered, but his parents, Maleka and Shirajul, discovered that their son could no longer hear.

In Bangladesh, a disability like deafness means a child will likely never be able to communicate with his family or community. With no social support, few schools for hearing impaired children, and poor parents, Imran was doomed to a life of dependence.

Maleka mourned the fact she would never be able to communicate with her son. She worried constantly about his future, knowing he would never be able to work or support himself.

As a young child, Imran’s deafness was confirmed by audiologists who recommended hearing aids and special schooling, but his parents could not afford any of this. Imran made only unintelligible sounds and could not understand sign language.

Finally, when Imran was 9 years old, his parents heard about World Concern’s HEAR School, and they went to visit. Maleka was overjoyed when she saw teachers using special techniques and equipment to teach students to speak, read lips, and use a hearing aid. She saw children like Imran who were speaking and communicating freely with others … and for the first time, she had hope for her son.

Imran was enrolled in the HEAR School, where he received loving attention and education. Imran began to learn to speak and understand others. Maleka was delighted to see the engaging techniques his teachers used. She and Shirajul attended parent classes to learn how to help Imran continue learning at home.

Now 13, with the help of World Concern donors like you, Imran is helping support his family.

This became even more critical when his father was tragically injured in a bus accident recently. Imran was able to communicate well enough with others to negotiate the sale of a small piece of land his family owned to pay for his father’s medical expenses. He’s also learned tailoring, and works at a local shop, earning enough to help his parents and siblings.

Imran loves to fish, climb trees, and has a hobby of repairing mobile phones. His dreams for the future include owning his own shop someday, and teaching disabled children so they can stand on their own.

Your gift is opening up a world of hearing and opportunity for a child like Imran.

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