Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss

The GFCHL continued its collaboration with the Hospital for Children Eye ENT and Rehabilitation Services CHEERS in Nepal. The multi-year initiative intends to demonstrate how the full Continuum of Care from infant screening to habilitation services can be implemented in a low resource country to help babies and very young children with hearing loss to listen and talk. Such services and expertise are extremely limited in Nepal. There is also low awareness for that potential developmental outcome among families in the country. Both Nepali professionals and community ear health workers are engaged in this comprehensive program. In May 2024 the GFCHL professional training team conducted its third 2-week training workshop to continue teaching the GFCHLs curriculum in pediatric audiology and auditory verbal therapy to a cohort of 20 Nepali community ear health workers and audiologists. Families of children with hearing loss participated in the practicum sessions and attended a Family seminar. In addition we also conducted an outreach seminar at a maternity hospital for about 50 nurses pediatricians and other front line workers to inform them about pediatric hearing loss newborn hearing screening and the interventions available to address the condition. The GFCHL Executive Director also traveled to Nepal separately from the training programs for planning meetings with partners to advance relationships and to explore local invitations for additional collaborations.

GFCHL traveled to Kenya twice separately from the training program for planning meetings with partners for observations advance relationships and to explore opportunities to expand the GFCHLs work. As a result of these visits the GFCHL will be initiating additional programs next year.

Advance payments to cover some costs associated with the third training workshop in the GFCHLs Kenya AVT training program scheduled for June 2025 in Nairobi.

Purchase of 6 refurbished hearing aids for children in need in Kenya.

Shipping costs associated with storage of hearing aids.