Why donors must do more than doling out hearing aids

A recent press report indicated that a US-based organisation in conjunction with a local university, hospital and some other local philanthropists had organised the treatment of some 1,500 children with hearing problems and given them hearing aids.

The children came to Nairobi from all over the country for the screening and treatment.

By the end of the exercise, the report went on, at least 8,000 hearing aids will have been given out.

The people behind this effort did all the right things.

Professionals screened and diagnosed the type and degree of deafness before giving out the hearing aids.

Hopefully, the beneficiaries also got proper training on how to use and take care of the gadgets to get maximum benefits from them.

Philanthropic efforts

Unfortunately experience in this country shows that after the initial excitement generated by such philanthropic efforts, there is often great disappointment and disillusionment by the beneficiaries almost as soon as they go back home.

Hearing aids are delicate gadgets that need careful handling and care and donors, unfortunately, usually do not provide the needed after-service.

Most of those who benefited from the recent exercise come from the rural areas where the only repairman available at the local market deals exclusively with shoes.

Most users are also usually too poor to afford to take care of the gadgets.

It is most likely that the majority of the recent proud owners will abandon them in a few weeks for as small a problem as an expired battery.

The gadgets improve the hearing and speech comprehension of people who have hearing problems that may have resulted from damage to the sensory cells in the inner ear.

Damage usually occurs from disease, ageing, injury from noise or from medication that went wrong.

But they do not cure deafness, a misconception that is quite prevalent.