So the World May Hear Magazine-Issue No. 2, 2017 by Starkey Hearing Foundation

hear so the world may

I S S U E NO. 2 , 2 0 17

Starkey Hearing Foundation

Leaders United in HealthCare Access MEXICO • TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO • KENYA • ETHIOPIA • TANZANIA • SWAZILAND NAMIBIA • ZAMBIA • VIETNAM • CAMBODIA • INDONESIA • PERU • BRAZIL • ST. KITTS & NEVIS

More Missions Mexico

Dominican Republic

Tampa, Fla., USA

During the first six months of 2017, our teams were working around the world to give the gift of hearing to those in need at 60 Phase 2 Missions. This map illustrates some of the global impact and expansion of our four-phase hearing healthcare model. Trinidad and Tobago

Peru

Guyana

Namibia

More Hearing Brazil

Mauritania

Ghana

Rwanda

Swaziland

Lesotho

Zambia

Malawi

More Impact Jordan

Uganda

Cambodia

Vietnam

Philippines

India

Tanzania

Kenya

Indonesia

Ethiopia

Inside

REEL A Peek at Stunning Documentary Films of Hearing Missions and More

ENGAGE News and Posts from Friends Worldwide

NOTEWORTHY Starkey Hearing Foundation Teams Up with Bob Marley Foundation in Jamaica

We want to hear from you. Share your thoughts: facebook.com/starkeycares 6700 Washington Avenue South Eden Prairie, MN 55344 www.starkeyhearingfoundation.org The Internal Revenue Service recognizes Starkey Hearing Foundation as a Section 501(c)(3) public charity. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

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6 Around

the World

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO Training the Next Generation in the WFA® Community-Based Hearing HealthCare Model

MEXICO Helping Our Neighbors

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO Finding a Perfect Fit in the Caribbean

KENYA From the City to the Sea

ETHIOPIA Learning from Experience

4 2

TANZANIA / SWAZILAND

NAMIBIA United in Namibia

ZAMBIA Homecoming Mission for Dr. Alfred Mwamba

VIETNAM Partnerships Propel Program in Vietnam

CAMBODIA Shaping Tomorrow’s Audiologists

INDONESIA Sustainability in Action

PERU Building Awareness on the Ground and in the Air

BRAZIL João Pessoa and Natal

10 First-ever

Regional Training Expands Hearing HealthCare in the Middle East

82 Spreading

Compassion and Kindness with His Holiness the Dalai Lama

ST. KITTS & NEVIS Newest Region Caribbean

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Short Documentary Films Await You on YouTube: Watch and Tell Us What You Think.

Reel Stories the world needs to hear

Teammates for Hearing Former President George W. Bush joined Starkey Hearing Foundation to spread the gift of hearing in Namibia.

“There is nothing more hopeful than to see a child hear for the first time.” — Former President George W. Bush

The First Starkey Hearing Institute Class Graduates The inaugural class at Starkey Hearing Institute graduated in Zambia, representing eight African Countries that will become Bill Austin’s dream in action.

“As I’ve always said, we can’t do much alone. It is all about the team, and we have to build the team.” — William F. Austin, Starkey Hearing Foundation Founder

Corinne Coleman in Cambodia Utah State University student Corinne Coleman explains her touching experience on Starkey Hearing Foundation’s mission in Cambodia.

“To come and personally witness these patients light up has been a dream and, more than that, to see my colleagues and friends touched by that same light has been incredibly moving.” — Corinne Coleman

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Social Media Posts from Around the World

Engage

Larry Fitzgerald @LarryFitzgerald ∙ 26 Mar Another amazing mission trip with the @starkeycares family in Kenya. #ChangingLives

Social media buzzes about Starkey Hearing Foundation. Follow the conversation @starkeycares

FrontRow Motorsports @Team_FRM ∙ 19 Mar It's race day! We're ready to #RaceforChange with @starkeycares. Be part of the action by donating at bit.ly/2jQ5k8n.

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Timberwolves @Timberwolves ∙ 17 May @colea45 checking in from his mission trip with @starkeycares in Peru! On the first day alone, they fit 548 patients with hearing aids.

Delta News Hub @DeltaNewsHub ∙ 26 Apr @Delta launches @LSTN headphones in Premium Cabins, gives gift of hearing to those in need through @starkeycares ow.ly/keZc30bbPwq

Daymond John @TheSharkDaymond ∙ 25 Jan I believe in giving back. That's why I am proud to work w/ companies like @starkeyhearing & organizations like @starkeycares! #ChangeTheWorld

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AROUND THE WORLD: Hearing Education

Training the Next Generation in the WFA CommunityBased Hearing HealthCare Model ®

Learning lessons in the field offers invaluable experience to students

or students from the Long Island (Au.D.) Consortium, the recent training and hearing mission in Trinidad was a life-changing experience they say will shape them as individuals and inform their burgeoning careers as audiologists.

The 12 students from the Consortium, which consists of students from Adelphi, Hofstra and St. John’s universities in New York, learned Phases 1-3 of the WFA® Community-Based Hearing HealthCare Model. The model provides ear and hearing healthcare in a simple, sustainable and scalable manner to people in need around the globe. The training ranged from identifying hearing aid candidates, to fitting hearing aids and counseling patients on how to use and care for the devices. Following two days of training, students worked with Foundation staff members to provide the gift of hearing to many people in need during a Phase 2 fitting mission. While they were all outstanding pupils throughout the training modules, it was their compassion and care that shone through during interactions with patients. Many of the students bonded with their patients, like Samantha Hartnett who helped Ramkissoon Harricharan, 78, hear again after 40 years. The next day, he stopped by the AfterCare clinic to deliver fresh picked oranges to Samantha and the team. Not only did the mission help people with hearing loss, the mission also served as an important supplement to the traditional audiology education students receive back home, said Dr. Ianthe Murad, clinical coordinator for the audiology doctoral program at Hofstra University.

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“We do a great job of giving them the skills and the education to be audiologists, but there is something that happens during the Starkey Hearing Foundation missions that just comes alive that you can't really learn from a textbook,” Dr. Murad said. “It is special to see each of the students connect with the patients. They are learning that caring about others is a top priority and that it is just as important as helping the patient to hear. To see them in action just pulls our program together. It gives me confidence that they will be great audiologists with bright futures.”

THE LONG ISLAND (AU.D.) CONSORTIUM (LI AuD Consortium SAA) students did an awesome job during our Phase 2 fitting mission in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. The hearing mission was particularly meaningful for one student, Areeka Tiwari, whose parents are from nearby Guyana. Areeka said the experience was like a homecoming. “There are the same Indo-Caribbean roots in Guyana and Jamaica that are also in Trinidad, so for me it is kind of like coming home,” Areeka said. “It is a similar culture, similar food, our accents are very similar, we have that free spirit. Even though this was not me helping Guyana, this was me helping Trinidad, and all of our forbearers came from the same place at the end of the day. This is just the best, I am having the greatest time of my life.”

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RAMKISSOON HARRICHARAN, 78, WAS SO PROUD TO TALK TO OUR TEAM IN TRINIDAD ABOUT HIS FAMILY, ESPECIALLY HIS WIFE OF 57 YEARS. The couple married when they were 19-years-old and had six children. He said before she passed away two years ago, she would bug him about getting his hearing checked. He refused. But it was becoming increasingly difficult to communicate with his family and friends. His granddaughter brought him Wednesday to our fitting mission in Port-of-Spain where Long Island Consortium (LI Au.D. Consortium SAA) audiology student, Samantha, fit him with his first pair of hearing aids.

After he was fit, Ramkissoon enthusiastically explained that this weekend he will join his family to celebrate his son’s 50th birthday. He said he is excited to go to the party and talk to his friends and relatives. “No one will need to shout, and I will be able to hear everyone clearly,” Ramkissoon said. Ramkissoon was so appreciative of our help, he returned to the AfterCare clinic today to deliver a gift of homegrown fruit to Samantha and the rest of the team.

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AROUND THE WORLD: Transcending Borders

Regional Training to Expand Hearing HealthCare in the Middle East Volunteers from three countries team up in Jordan

tarkey Hearing Foundation’s first-ever training for the Middle East Region in Amman, Jordan, epitomized the human emotion of caring — transcending borders, religion and cultures.

A team of Starkey Hearing Foundation staff from the United States, Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland, Palestine and India spent a week teaching 12 trainees from Lebanon, Mauritania and Palestine on the WFA® Community-Based Hearing HealthCare Model. The trainees received hands-on training on the first three phases of the model – from identifying hearing aid candidates in Phase 1, to fitting patients with devices that reconnect them with the hearing world in Phase 2, and providing follow-up care for patients in Phase 3. The community-based hearing health professionals will now deliver ear and hearing healthcare services in their respective countries. Brendan O’Gorman, who serves as International Development Director for the Middle East Region along with Jessica Flynn, called the training a historic moment for the Foundation. “We are not just helping one country, I see a whole region,” Brendan said. “We will be helping each other and cooperating to bring better hearing to thousands of people in the Middle East Region.” Many of the trainees said the program will provide much more than better hearing for people in their communities. Ibrahim Abudalo, a volunteer coordinator for the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, said the teams will be able to give hope to people who are enduring unimaginable situations of war, persecution and conflict.

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Hearing loss due to effects of explosions and torture is prevalent in some Middle Eastern countries. “I think we can change a lot of lives around the world,” Brendan said. “There are too many problems in the Middle East and there are too many people with cases of hearing loss from the war. We can fix this, and we can help. This is just the beginning.” Hala Mohamed, Country Coordinator in Lebanon, said she is inspired to return to Lebanon to help Starkey Hearing Foundation provide hearing aids to thousands of Syrian and Palestinian refugees living in camps who have never had access to ear or hearing health services. “It was very important for me to be at the training. I came as Hala, but I am going back a new person,” Hala said. “I am going back with a message to do the work in Lebanon. I want to go back and help every single person in Lebanon who cannot hear because I am very passionate — especially after fitting patients with hearing aids and seeing people start to hear again. It was the greatest experience of my life.”

THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR FORCED RANA, 10, AND HER FAMILY TO FLEE THEIR HOME IN ALEPPO THREE YEARS AGO. The family of five left their possessions behind and walked for two days through the mountains. They carried one bag of bread. Jordanian police first placed the family in the Zaatari Refugee Camp, the largest refugee camp in Jordan. There they lived in extremely hot and overcrowded conditions for a week. The family reunited with relatives living in a smaller camp. For seven months, Rana, her two siblings

and parents lived in a small tent. Rana, who was born with profound hearing loss, developed meningitis and spent 30 days in intensive care. Her parents knew they could no longer live in the refugee camp. Both parents are now working and the family rents a house outside of the camp. Rana currently attends school for students with special needs and has never been fit with hearing aids. We’re thrilled that Rana can benefit from hearing aids and look forward to seeing her again soon.

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HARIS, 11, MADE SURE HIS YOUNGER BROTHER, BASEL, 10, RECEIVED THE HEARING AIDS HE NEEDED. While Haris was fit with one hearing aid during our recent training in Amman, Jordan, Basel was at school. But Haris brought Basel to the AfterCare clinic the following day where volunteer, Omar, fit Basel with two hearing aids to replace devices that were damaged.

HALA OMARI, 7, AND JAWAD OMARI, 3, VISITED THE AFTERCARE CLINIC IN AMMAN, JORDAN, TO CHECK BATTERIES AND ADJUST THE VOLUME ON THEIR HEARING AIDS. Both children were born with hearing loss and had never been fit with hearing aids. Their father, a soldier with the Jordanian Army, said the hearing aids will help both children with their education. Hala is in the first grade and has a special teacher who assists with her learning. Jawad will attend school next year. “We are thankful for Starkey,” their father said. “We hope you come back to Jordan to help other people who need hearing aids.”

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NOTEWORTHY: A Musical Match

Starkey Hearing Foundation Teams Up with Bob Marley Foundation in Jamaica Partnership seeks to expand hearing healthcare in the birthplace of reggae

tarkey Hearing Foundation is teaming up with one of the greatest names in music to expand access to hearing healthcare in Jamaica.

The Bob Marley Foundation in February announced its support of Starkey Hearing Foundation’s efforts to bring the gift of hearing to people in Jamaica. The announcement came on what would have been Bob Marley’s 72nd birthday. Rohan Marley, Bob Marley’s son, said the partnership reflects his late father’s core values of helping at-risk and vulnerable populations with love and brotherhood.

“Through this partnership, Starkey Hearing Foundation will bring ear and hearing healthcare to Jamaicans who do not have access to the services they need to manage or treat their hearing loss,” Rohan Marley said. “Giving a person the ability to hear produces an immediate and inspirational improvement in a person’s quality of life and a compounding effect on the world.” Julia Lis, Starkey Hearing Foundation International Development Director for the Caribbean region, said the Bob Marley Foundation’s commitment is instrumental in helping the Foundation provide improved access to hearing and ear care services for Jamaican people.

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“Through this partnership we hope to reach people in the community who are in need of hearing healthcare support, and can benefit from the WFA® Community-Based Hearing HealthCare program,” Lis said. “We are excited that the Bob Marley Foundation with its kind support will help to reach the people of Jamaica in all communities, so that Jamaica may hear.” To date, Starkey Hearing Foundation has provided hearing healthcare services in more than 100 countries around the globe and has established the WFA® Community-Based Hearing Healthcare program in 52 countries, including Trinidad and Guyana in the Caribbean.

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MEXICO

Phase 2 • January – June, 2017

Matamoros, Tampico, Monterrey, Toluca, Cuautitlan, San Luis Potosi, Guadalajara, San Juan Del Rio, Reynosa, El Fuerte, Morelia, Queretaro 16

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Helping Our Neighbors

n February, March, and April, Starkey Hearing Foundation conducted missions throughout Mexico with staggering numbers well over 7,600 patients and more than 14,000 hearing aids. Teams returned to four more cities in June with a group of young volunteers eager to make a difference.

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uring the first run in Mexico, the largest portion of our number of patients were in Toluca, where we fit almost 3,000 patients over five days. Toluca was not only special due to the volume of patients we helped, but also due to the palpable joy in the fitting area. High spirits were a characteristic of the entire Mexico hearing mission.

In June, the team visited Queretaro and Morelia. With the help of volunteers from Delta Zeta and Audigy, we fit more than 1,000 patients. It was also a family affair as we also welcomed Starkey Hearing Foundation friends Dr. Ianthe Murad, and her son, Jared; Dr. Natalie Phillips and her son, Noa; Starkey Technologies Chief Customer Officer, Lisa Richards and her daughter, Rylie Kagel; and Jack McConnell and his sister, Madison. The hearing mission was a great bonding experience for each of the families. “It is really fun to be on a mission with my mom,” Rylie said. “She has always been a role model in my life and I have been able to watch her change other peoples’ lives and be a part of that with her. This gives me something more to look up to.”

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Finding a Perfect Fit in the Caribbean 22

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TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO Phase 2 â&#x20AC;¢ March 14- 17, 2017 Port of Spain

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AROUND THE WORLD: Finding a Perfect Fit in the Caribbean

he team was eager to undertake the first official Phase 2 mission in Port of Spain, Trinidad using custom-made earmolds.

Though the Foundation has held Phase 2 missions in the Caribbean nation in the past, those missions used stock molds, which are formed based on a generic ear. While stock molds minimize the waiting period between patient identification and a fitting mission, the unique shape of the “Caribbean ear” makes it difficult to fit with a stock mold.

“The Caribbean ear is unique and diverse because it is a mix of so many regions of the world — you have African, Indian, Chinese influence,” said Kevin Ramos, international materials manager. “It is a combination of all of those in one human being, so you get more of a complex ear canal with a smaller concha and a narrow helix that doesn’t fit any of our current stock molds.”

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A COMMON CAUSE OF HEARING LOSS AROUND THE WORLD IS MEDICATION. Deja Lewis, was a toddler when she contracted meningitis. For Deja, one of the side effects of the medication was hearing loss in her left ear. For about 12 years, she has not heard clearly in both ears. When volunteer Gary Hammers turned on Deja’s hearing aids, her face lit up and tears welled in her eyes. It was an emotional moment for Deja and her mother. “I am so happy,” said Deja, who wants to study law or pursue a career as a spoken word artist. “I can hear everything now. I used to struggle communicating with my friends and hearing my teachers. Now I can talk and listen to them without any problem.”

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KENYA

Malindi, Lamu, Mombasa, Kitui Phase 2 â&#x20AC;¢ March 2017

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From the City to the Sea

fter a week in the Caribbean, the team headed to Kenya, where more than 3,000 patients waited in five cities across the east African country. We visited patients in one of Kenyaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest cities, Mombasa, as well as the more remote locales of Lamu and Kitui. Mission sites ranged from an old fort that was once used as a prison in the northeastern town of Lamu, to local schools in Malindi and Kitui. More than 80 percent of the patients were children.

No matter the location, our team was greeted warmly with gratitude and appreciation. A number of Starkey Hearing Foundation friends joined us for select hearing missions in Kenya, including Dennis and Leslie Hansen, Sandi Young, Larry Fitzgerald and Lou Lampson.

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MALINDI, KENYA Phase 2 • March 2017

he first stop in Kenya was the city of Malindi on the coast of the Indian Ocean. We were joined by our friends Sandi Young, and Dennis and Leslie Hansen, as well as Amelia Sawalich, Starkey Hearing Foundation co-founder Tani Austin’s eldest granddaughter.

Many of the patients in Malindi were students who had traveled from various cities to receive their hearing aids. Once they were fit, groups of students joyfully crowded around Tani Austin and Amelia, dancing and singing along to pop songs. The laughter and excitement brought a great energy to the mission site as our team members joined the celebration. “You can actually see that you are making a difference and that you are changing someone through their eyes and their appearances or watching the people that know the patient,” Leslie Hansen said. “You just get to feel it right away. I am very pleased with the Phase 3 and Phase 4 pieces now, because we used to leave wondering how effective it was going to be once we were gone, and now I feel reassured with Phase 3 Aftercare.”

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“You can actually see that you are making a difference and that you are changing someone through their eyes and their appearances or watching the people that know the patient!” — Leslie Hansen

WHEN TWO BUSES COLLIDED ON A BRIDGE AND PLUNGED INTO THE SABAKI RIVER NEAR THE KENYAN PORT CITY OF MALINDI IN 2001, SALIM ABEID WAS AMONG THE RESCUE AND RECOVERY TEAM. He spent three days diving into the crocodile-infested river to save a handful of people and retrieve the bodies of dozens of victims from the wreckage and the river. Doctors said the trauma he experienced diving into the rushing water and subsequent illness likely contributed to his hearing loss. In the last decade, his hearing has deteriorated to the point where he could not communicate with someone unless he stood in front of them to read their lips. “I didn’t realize how much I was missing without my hearing,” Salim said. “I got used to not being able to hear and just reading people’s lips. What you all are doing is wonderful, and I am so thankful for Starkey Hearing Foundation.”

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LAMU, KENYA Phase 2 • March 2017

amu Old Town is a special place on the eastern coast of Africa near the Somalia border. It is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa. While Swahili settlements across East Africa have been abandoned, Lamu Old Town has been continuously inhabited for more than 700 years. Fishing boats bobbed along the shoreline and donkeys dash along narrow streets carrying all manner of goods from cinder blocks to baskets of chickens.

After arriving via boat to the hearing mission site at Lamu Fort, the team was struck by the unique architecture and distinct culture of Old Lamu City. The grand arches and golden patina on the walls of the 200-year-old fort provided a beautiful backdrop to an inspiring mission day. “It is truly exciting to see somebody’s life change in front of you,” Dennis Hansen said. “To see someone go from having no voice to being able to repeat words. It is an instant change.”

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BEATHRICE KABUGI, 38, IS A STOREKEEPER WHO HAS STRUGGLED WITH HEARING LOSS FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS. The impairment negatively affected business at her vegetable stall as she was unable to interact and communicate with customers or the casual passerby of her shop in Lamu, a UNESCO World Heritage City off the coast off Kenya. “Customers would ask me for something and I would not understand them or hear them,” Beathrice said. “I would ask them to repeat themselves. Some customers would get frustrated, leave and go somewhere else. Now I can hear everything the first time, and I will be faster.”

BEFORE STARKEY HEARING FOUNDATION ARRIVED IN LAMU, KENYA, LOCAL FISHERMAN SAID MAHSEN FACED AN UNIMAGINABLE DECISION: SELL HIS FISHING BOAT TO PAY FOR HEARING AIDS OR CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH DEBILITATING HEARING LOSS. Fishing is Said’s livelihood, which supports his wife and three young children. His three older children dissuaded their father from selling the boat. But Said felt desperately disconnected from his family and the hearing world. In a twist of fate, Said heard an announcement about Starkey Hearing Foundation’s program providing free hearing aids from a man walking a donkey through the streets of Lamu. “My children asked me how we would live if I sold my fishing boat,” Said stated. “This is the only source of income we depend on to buy food and live. I didn’t sell the boat. I waited until you came with treatment. You saved us. You have helped a lot of people who are so poor they can’t afford food day-to-day."

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MOMBASA, KENYA Phase 2 • March 2017

he penultimate mission in Kenya took us to the country’s second largest city, Mombasa. Located on the southeastern coast of Kenya, Mombasa is a mix of seafaring history and cosmopolitan present. Traditional Tamarind Dhow, authentic ocean-going sailing boats that were once used for cargo trading along the Kenyan coast and to the Arab states, glide across the waters of the Indian Ocean while the bright lights of Mombasa twinkle on the land.

We welcomed NFL star Larry Fitzgerald and photographer and friend Lou Lampson to Mombasa. Despite missed connections and delayed flights that forced them to arrive in Kenya on the morning of the mission, both Lou and Larry jumped right in to help the hearing impaired in Mombasa. Once again, a majority of the patients were school children who had traveled from cities across Kenya to receive the gift of hearing. “The smiles on the faces of the people and seeing the look in their eyes when they’re hearing for the first time, it’s just amazing,” Sandi Young said. “It is something that we all take for granted; hearing, being able to smell, taste and see. You see people who don’t have those abilities and it is just so wonderful to be able to give that gift back.”

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KITUI, KENYA Phase 2 • March 2017

he African Team continued on to the regional town of Kitui, a three-hour drive east of Nairobi, for a hearing mission at the Kitui School for the Deaf. We served over 800 patients in two days. Many of the students had never heard sounds around them like birds chirping in trees or vehicles passing along the dirt road just outside of the school gates. Once they were fit with hearing aids, many students sat staring in the direction of the road or pointed to the sky as a flock of birds flew overhead. Not only will the hearing aids help the students manage their surroundings, teachers at the school are optimistic that they will improve their education, too.

Irene Kimanthi, a teacher at the Kitui School for the Deaf, said students would benefit from total communication, a mix of signing and talking. “For those who have a little speech, for them it is an advantage. Like learning languages, it is very good when they can talk,” Kimanthi said. “They have an advantage because right now their hearing loss is keeping them quiet. But they can talk. That child with a hearing aid can hear and can also sign, so that is an advantage.”

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PATRICK KETHIKE BROUGHT HIS FOUR YOUNGEST SONS TO THE HEARING MISSION IN KITUI, KENYA. All four of the boys were born with genetic hearing loss, a condition that runs on their motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side of the family. The boys, ranging in ages from 14 to 20, are the youngest of 12 children. Their eight older siblings were all born with normal hearing. After the last brother was fit with hearing aids, the four brothers vocalized and interacted with one another, laughing and encouraging each other to make sounds and say words. It was an emotional afternoon for father and sons.

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Learning from Experience 36

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ETHIOPIA Arbaminch

Phase 2 â&#x20AC;¢ March 2017

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unique set of challenges forced the team in Ethiopia to revise the conventional Phase 1 and Phase 2 approach to identifying and fitting patients with hearing aids. When the team held a Phase 1 Mission in 2016, just 20 percent of the patients returned to receive their hearing aids at the subsequent Phase 2 Mission.

Hearing Care Coordinator Dawit Gebru attributed the low rate of return to the distribution of Ethiopia’s population across vast remote areas. To overcome the challenge, the two-day mission in picturesque Arbaminch in southern Ethiopia combined Phase 1 and Phase 2. “Most of the people live in rural areas and we don’t have the access to reach them. Some people have to travel for two days to get to our site,” Gebru said. “So that’s why we did the Phase 1 and Phase 2 at the same time.” The strategy resulted in a successful mission for the newly formed Ethiopia team. More than 1,000 patients received ear and hearing care, and of those, about 750 patients were fit with hearing aids. We were honored to fit people from one of Africa’s most recognizable tribes, the Masaai.

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EYUEL TAMIRAT, 12, HAS NOT LET HEARING LOSS STAND IN HIS WAY OF BECOMING A PROFESSIONAL SOCCER PLAYER. Eyuel, who lost his hearing due to tonsillitis at age 4, is one of the top young soccer prospects from Ethiopia. He was recently selected to a youth training squad for English Premier League’s Arsenal Football Club. “Hearing aids will help me be a better football player and teammate,” Eyuel said. “I have trained using just signals and gestures, but sometimes I miss things. Now I’ll be able to hear my coach’s instructions and my teammates, and the referee’s whistle.”

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AT 85, DEMEKECH LEMA IS IN GOOD HEALTH. Her eyesight is sharp and she can walk unassisted. But her hearing had deteriorated in the last decade due to medication to treat chronic bronchitis. She attended our Phase 2 Mission in Arbaminch with her two daughters. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re excited to give the gift of hearing to Demekech so that she is able to hear the sounds of her church including music, sermons and bells again.

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TANZANIA Phase 2 • April 2017 Mwanza

tarkey Hearing Foundation returned to Tanzania for a mission in Mwanza, the country’s largest port city on Lake Victoria. The Foundation last held a Phase 2 Mission in Mwanza in 2014, but has continued to offer Phase 3 AfterCare services for existing patients. The latest mission in April 2017 was a step in the right direction for the Tanzania team that has worked hard to provide needed services in the country. There is a backlog of 2,000 patients in Dar Es Salaam and another 500 patients waiting for hearing aids in Kilimanjaro.

ZENA CAME TO OUR HEARING MISSION IN MWANZA, TANZANIA FOR HER CHILDREN. The mother of four said her hearing started to decline a decade ago from unknown causes. In that time, she has never heard her 11-year-old son’s voice and struggles to communicate with her customers who visit her kiosk to buy vegetables and charcoal. Zena has been able to hear higher frequencies, including her three daughters, but wanted to clearly hear all four of her children.

“We had some local officials visit the mission and they could not believe we had so many people with hearing loss in Mwanza,” said Waridi Mallya. “We told them this is just some of them, this is just the tip of the iceberg. They were very glad we were there to help.”

AS A YOUNG CHILD, ANZERANI MIGWAJU HAD NORMAL HEARING UNTIL THE AGE OF 7. She does not know how she lost her hearing. Throughout primary and secondary school, Anzerani was forced to sit in the front of the classroom so that she could read lips. Now at the age of 22, Anzerani is completing her advanced secondary education in Kigoma. She plans to go to university to study Swahili and English. “I have always had difficulty hearing and interacting with my peers,” she said. “I want to be able to participate in discussions. With my hearing aids, I expect to do better at school now because now I can understand everything.”

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SWAZILAND Phase 2 • April 2017 Mbabane

fter fitting over 400 patients in Tanzania, the team moved on to the city of Mbabane, the administrative capital of Swaziland. There we visited students at the Siteki School for the Deaf. Most of the students have mild-to-severe hearing loss and the primary method of communication is Swazi Sign Language.

School principal Fakudze Sanatu said without Starkey Hearing Foundation’s interventions, children at the school would not receive the hearing aids and assistance they need. “Services for the children are very scarce,” Sanatu said. “A lot of parents cannot afford hearing aids. Starkey is doing a very good job for our children. You can hear many of them around the school making noises. They want to show us that they can now speak or are trying to speak.”

IMAGINE LOVING TO DANCE BUT YOU CAN’T HEAR THE BEAT OR MELODY OF THE MUSIC. Msime Sukati, 11, was often frustrated while performing a traditional Swazi dance that requires stomping of the feet, clapping of the hands and chanting. His teacher said although Msime loved to dance, he would never finish the whole performance because he couldn’t hear the music and would become upset. But after he was fit with hearing aids in April, Msime joyously performed the whole routine, clapping, stomping and singing at the top of his lungs. “He has danced without any sound his whole life,” Siteki School for the Deaf Principal Fakudze Sanatu said. “Now he is singing and dancing and is so happy.”

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NAMIBIA Windhoek

Phase 2 â&#x20AC;¢ April 6, 2017

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amibia was a special mission for our team with former U.S. President George W. Bush and his wife Laura joining Starkey Hearing Foundation’s Phase 2 Hearing Mission in Windhoek on April 6, 2017. It was also the first time the Foundation had completed Phase 2 Hearing Mission in Namibia. Mr. and Mrs. Bush were on a three-day trip to Botswana and Namibia to promote the George W. Bush Institute’s work to improve the lives of women and girls in Africa, particularly in the areas of education and healthcare. This was the former president’s second Starkey Hearing Foundation mission. He previously joined the Foundation for a mission in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, in June 2013. This time around, he was accompanied by Laura, Namibian First Lady Monica Geingos, and a contingency from the Bush Center’s affiliate Pink Ribbon/Red Ribbon, which fights cervical and breast cancers in the developing world.

After a quick recap on the WFA® Fitting Method, Mr. Bush got to work with patients from the Windhoek School for the Hearing Impaired. One of the first patients was Manuel Mangani, a 10-year-old who was born with profound hearing loss. After a few adjustments to the hearing devices, Manuel excitedly began making sounds and using his voice, to the clear excitement of Mr. and Mrs. Bush.

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“There’s nothing more hopeful than to see a child hear for the first time,” Bush said. “It certainly lifts my spirit.” Starkey Hearing Foundation thanks Mr. and Mrs. Bush, as well as Namibian First Lady Monica Geingos for their support.

ABRAHAM SWARTBOOI, 18, HAS A PLAN FOR HIS LIFE AND WONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T LET HIS HEARING IMPAIRMENT STAND IN HIS WAY. Abraham, who was born with a hearing loss, may have limited speech, but the 9th-grader at the Windhoek School for the Hearing Impaired has a huge personality and a wide smile to match. Abraham wants to work in the beauty industry as a hairdresser and nail technician. He is happy to receive hearing aids as they will help him communicate with his hearing customers.

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Homecoming Mission for Dr. Alfred Mwamba 48

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ZAMBIA Ndola

Phase 2 â&#x20AC;¢ April 2017

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he Phase 2 mission in Ndola, Zambia was special on many levels for students of Starkey Hearing Institute and its director, Alfred Mwamba. The mission was the first full-fledged Phase 2 for some of the nine students. It also served as homecoming for Mwamba, the country’s first doctor of audiology.

“The practical knowledge that they have put together with what they are learning in class resulted in a lot of “a-ha” moments, which is always exciting to see,” Mwamba said. “The passion that they showed to the patients and the patience they had for the patients was fantastic.” Returning to his hometown was especially meaningful for Mwamba, who studied audiology in the United States and returned to bring hearing healthcare to his home country. During the mission, he fit the child of a former schoolmate and met the man who brought attention to his work. “It was good that I got to serve people from my own community and you always want to do that,” Mwamba said. “This place has a lot of good and some bad memories when it comes to my hearing healthcare work. It was overwhelming and special.” It was also special for the second class of the Starkey Hearing Institute. While some students had previously participated in Phase 2 Hearing Missions, the Ndola mission was the first time the students had worked together as a team.

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“The mission was fantastic,” said Rodgers Sambai, a student from Kenya. “Every day is educational to us; we are learning day in and day out. The good part about it is that we have patience to see that extra patient. We all want to make sure that the patient is getting the best out of us.”

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VIETNAM Hanoi, DaNang, Ho Chi Minh City

Hearing Mission • April 22 – May 14, 2017

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Partnerships Propel Program in Vietnam

he Asia Pacific Team, with the assistance of Starkey Hearing Foundation sponsors, fit patients in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, DaNang, on the Eastern Sea coast, and Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s center of commerce and culture.

The missions in the three cities underscored the importance of preparation and partnership in ensuring the WFA® CommunityBased Hearing HealthCare model is sustainable. International Development Director for Asia Pacific, Megan Baiocchi, said the very strong local team and great local partners are essential to the program’s continued success. Almost everything needed for the

mission was donated to the Foundation, including water and soda at all three missions from Pepsi, the sites in each city, and otoscopy medication. And additional supporters are jumping on board. “The program in Vietnam is truly sustainable – we have a very strong local team and great partners in country and on the ground,” Baiocchi said. “We are exploring relationships with Ministry of Health to assist with the growth of the program. Due to this support we are able to service more people in need.”

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HANOI, VIETNAM Phase 2 â&#x20AC;˘ April 2017

he run of missions in Vietnam opened in the capital city of Hanoi. Located on the right bank of the Red River, Hanoi is the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second largest city and is more than 1,000 years old.

The demographic of patients in Hanoi is far different to other Vietnamese cities. There is a large geriatric population of patients in Hanoi, a contrast to cities like Ho Chi Minh where most patients are school-aged children.

We were thrilled to welcome several sponsors and new friends to the mission in Vietnam, including Jim Morey, Sandi Young, David and Celine Martin, Marco and Isabelle Breton and Lou Lampson. Our new friends are Andy Chasko, Paul Luftenegger, Cameron Morris and Susan Block.

Still, the patient attendance rate in Hanoi was almost perfect with just 12 patients of the 445 scheduled patients failing to show up for their hearing aid fitting. Megan Baiocchi, international development director for the Asia-Pacific region attributed the success to the hard work of the hearing care coordinators in the city.

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DA NANG, VIETNAM Phase 2 â&#x20AC;˘ April 2017 Mbabane

he city of Da Nang is a port city located in central Vietnam midway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. It was once a French colonial port.

Da Nang is a new city in the Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s program. Partners including Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (DOLISA), helped to mobilize patients from rural areas to the city for the Phase 2 mission.

LOC LY, 16, HAS NEVER WORN HEARING AIDS. Her father brought her to the hearing mission because he wanted her to be able to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher. He said he is excited to speak to his daughter and know that she is able to hear him.

Luqman Lawal with a patient in Nairobi, Kenya S TA R K E Y H E A R I N G FO U N DAT I O N

HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM Phase 2 • April 2017

The family was forced to flee under the cover of night amid the sounds of gunfire. Her father had organized the escape of 75 people via boat along the Mekong to the South China Sea. During the escape, pirates chased the boat. The boat captain made a deal with the pirates to trade food and water for the boat’s safe passage to Malaysia. For more than nine months, the Truong family lived in a Malaysian refugee camp until a Lutheran church, at the behest of relatives, sponsored the family’s visas for the United States. In December 1979, the six Truong children, their father and one cousin boarded a flight from Hong Kong to San Francisco, California, to start a new life. Truong had not returned to Ho Chi Minh City for 38 years. Her father recently passed away. It was at his funeral that Truong learned many of the details about her family’s escape and her father’s heroic actions that saved the lives of dozens of family members and friends. Returning to Vietnam, specifically Ho Chi Minh City, was an incredibly emotional experience for Truong.

he team’s mission in Ho Chi Minh was extra special for Starkey Hearing Foundation sponsor Celine Truong and her husband, David Martin. Truong was born in the city, formerly known as Saigon, in 1971. With the Fall of Saigon in the mid-70s, the Communist regime took control of Truong’s father’s brickmaking business in Bien Hoa, a city 20 miles north of Saigon. Her mother did not join the family on the initial escape. Instead, she remained in Vietnam to liquidate property that had not yet been seized by the Communist takeover. She planned her own escape a year later.

“I am very overwhelmed, but so fulfilled,” Truong said. “I have been able to come back not as a tourist, not on vacation, but to give something back that is life-changing for these people. Had my father been alive today, I think he would have been very proud.” At the conclusion of the hearing mission in Ho Chi Minh City, Truong and David traveled to Bien Hoa to try and find her father’s brick factory. There they met a monk who was able to connect Truong with a first cousin. Truong said the hearing mission and visit to Bien Hoa enabled her to discover her heritage. “This was such a magical mission. I am so fulfilled. Money cannot buy the joy and closure I've gained from this journey,” Truong said. “I am humbled by the Austins and their vision. They have truly created such a unique and satisfying experience for donors in the world of philanthropy.”

THE FITTING FLOOR TURNED INTO AN IMPROMPTU DANCE PARTY after Bang Thi Tuyet Nguyen received her hearing aids in Vietnam. Bang, who was born with hearing loss, loves music, but has never been able to hear it well. The 25-year-old was overwhelmed with joy when Starkey Hearing Foundation sponsor, Celine Truong, played music on her phone.

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SOMETIMES WE TAKE THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE FOR GRANTED. Lep Thi Nguyen, 78, lost her hearing after she was stung by a swarm of bees while gardening five years ago. Lep Thi has waited for years to receive her hearing aids and was so happy to sit on the bench outside of the hearing mission site in Ho Chi Minh City to enjoy the sounds of children playing nearby, birds in the trees and traffic passing by. She is most excited to finally hear the voices of her 15 great-grandchildren again.

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CAMBODIA Phnom Penh

Hearing Mission • May 6 – 14, 2017

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he Asia Pacific moved on to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where we met up with audiology students and professors from Utah State University. The nine students ranged from first-to third-year students, with a mixture of Starkey Hearing Foundation mission first-timers and hearing mission veterans.

The group was accompanied by Utah State University audiology professors Heather Jensen, Amy Porter and Jeff Larsen. Students fit 1,024 patients in two days and conducted Phase 3 AfterCare for 50 patients. “Hearing stories and meeting the people of Cambodia who have traveled hours for the gift of hearing their loved one has been a humbling experience,” said Christina Heitzinger, a third-year audiology student. “Here, you are changing the lives of the patients as well as their families, which is seen through the joy and excitement experienced by both.” Some patients traveled two hours from the Kampong Speu region. Another group of patients traveled in the back of pickup trucks from near the Thailand and Vietnam border. Just as the students impacted the lives of the dozens of patients they saw, the exposure to community-based hearing healthcare will positively affect the professional careers of the students.

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“We have been on several missions, and after the mission in the clinic at home, their confidence is much higher than those who have not gone on a mission,” said Professor Amy Porter. “In the three days they are here they have looked in more ears than they would have in two years back at home. So I definitely see an increase in their clinical skills and basic audiology skills like otoscopy. But also in their interactions with people. They seem more comfortable in their interactions and conversations with people, which will help them be better audiologists in the long run.” During the four-day hearing mission, students also conducted research on the credibility and validity of the WFA® Voice Test when compared to audiometric testing. “We are trying to assess the validity of this kind of test to be deployed in the field as a screening test as well as a diagnostic test in low resource settings,” said Luqman Lawal, director of global health and research. “We can’t afford to provide pure tone audiometry testing to all patients and in order to be able to do a mass fitting we need a simple test that provides more than 95 percent validity. We have collected data from Philippines, Trinidad and Tobago, and now Cambodia.” The results of the research will be presented at the Coalition for Global Hearing Health in October at the University of Miami.

WHILE IN CAMBODIA FOR A RECENT PHASE 2 MISSION IN PHNOM PENH, MEMBERS OF THE ASIA PACIFIC TEAM LEARNED THAT ONE YOUNG PATIENT IN ANOTHER CITY NEEDED NEW HEARING AIDS. Sok San Sueong shares a special bond with Starkey Hearing Foundation co-founder, Tani Austin. Tani first met Sok San in 2014 and fit her with hearing aids the following year. At the time, Sok San was about 5-years-old and did not attend school due to her hearing loss. But the following day, Tani visited a local school and was greeted by Sok San and her mother in one of the classrooms. The formerly shy and withdrawn little girl’s personality had blossomed, and she was a much more active child in the space of one day. It was an encounter that galvanized the need for Phase 3 AfterCare. Now 9, Sok San is in the first grade where she is working to develop her speech. Her original hearing aids broke recently, and Sok San was wearing a pair from her school. A small team traveled to Siem Reap to conduct a mini AfterCare for Sok San and fit her with new hearing aids.

LIKE MANY PEOPLE WITH HEARING LOSS, Sokah Sout, 67, felt too ashamed to address her impairment or seek help. Sokah had struggled for years with hearing aids that were too loud. The old devices caused pain and the aggravation of wearing uncomfortable hearing aids forced her to withdraw from communicating with her family. Her five children encouraged her to register as a Starkey Hearing Foundation patient in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, so that she could regain her confidence and life. “It has been so difficult because I talk too loud, then I get angry and my family gets frustrated, too,” Sokah said. “I am so happy to have my hearing back.”

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INDONESIA Jakarta

Hearing Mission • May 23 – 24, 2017

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ust six months after fitting nearly 8,000 patients across Indonesia in November, Starkey Hearing Foundation returned to the country to serve another 1,000 patients in the capital city, Jakarta. With the assistance of key partners including the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Committee for the Prevention and Alleviation of Deafness and the Indonesia Ear, Nose and Throat Society, the Asia Pacific team completed yet another successful Phase 2 mission in May.

“We are extremely fortunate to partner with both governmental organizations and medical professionals in Indonesia, which gives our work greater depth and credibility,” said Megan Baiocchi, International Development Director for the Asia Pacific Region. “Establishing these relationships ensures our program in Indonesia is simple, scalable and sustainable. We have worked tirelessly to grow the program in Indonesia.”

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KESSE AJENG, 7, WAS BORN WITH HEARING LOSS AFTER HER MOTHER CONTRACTED RUBELLA DURING PREGNANCY. The young girl received her first pair of hearing aids during our Phase 2 Hearing Mission in Jakarta, Indonesia. Kesse’s father said he is thankful for the Foundation as he could not afford hearing aids for his child. “I am hoping that this change will help her with her speech and communication,” he said. “She goes to school and uses sign language. But I want to give her the chance to speak and communicate like other children.”

FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES, HENRIYATO, 67, HAS LIVED WITH HEARING LOSS. A motorcycle accident at the age of 30 stripped the father of two of his ability to hear. He was fit with his first pair of hearing aids during our Phase 2 Hearing Mission in Jakarta, Indonesia, and was thrilled to hear the sound of his wife’s voice clearly for the first time in 37 years. He is now looking forward to talking to his children and hearing music in his church.

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PERU Arequipa, Chimbote

Hearing Mission • May 6 – 14, 2017

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he South American country of Peru is always a favorite for our mission team, volunteers and sponsors. Our two-city mission in May was particularly exciting. One of the Foundation’s sponsors, LSTN Sound Co., was on hand to help the people of Arequipa, Peru, as well as film a documentary for Delta Airlines benefitting Starkey Hearing Foundation. LSTN is designing Delta Airlines’ new onboard premium cabin headsets, signaling an expansion on the company’s core mission to create funding and awareness for the Foundation worldwide. Delta has 180,000,000 annual passengers on 15,000 daily flights including 4 million International first and business class passengers alone. LSTN x Delta x Starkey co-branded products will be handed directly to over 10,000 first and business class passengers every day. The commercial will showcase LSTN's product, as well as the important work the Foundation does for individuals, families, communities, education and healthcare worldwide. This commercial will show on all Delta flights worldwide, potentially reaching 180,000,000 passengers annually.

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BRAZIL João Pessoa, Paraíba

Hearing Mission • June 18, 2017

n June, the foundation team could be found on the eastern coast of the beautiful country of Brazil in South America. Starkey Hearing Foundation held its first hearing mission in Brazil 20 years prior and it is a joy to see the progress we’ve made. Time, hairstyle and fads may change, but the smiles of someone hearing for the first time are truly ageless.

Most of the patients who were fit came from up to six hours away by bus. Dr. Adriano Sergio Meir, from SOS Otorrino was our mission partner in João Pessoa. He utilized his mobile clinic to get into some areas where patients would not be available for the Phase 1 in preparation for the Phase 2 mission. In a Phase 1, patients are screened, identified and ear impressions are taken so they can have custom molds made. Sunday morning, we were greeted by a group of local Brazilian youth who performed Paraíba cultural dances before the day of fitting began for our Phase 2. Enjoying the music and culture with the people of Brazil encouraged a harmonious day of hearing. As we travel around the world, we are so grateful to see the work progress and run smoothly as we work together with dedicated local partners who find joy and fulfillment in sharing the message of caring.

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The beautiful sunny Sunday fell on Fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day, so we were overjoyed to have the founding father of the Foundation leading the team throughout the day.

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BRAZIL Natal, Rio Grande do Norte

Hearing Mission • June 19, 2017

it and Fly is a term used to describe how the hearing mission teams can move from one city to the next on the same day in order to fit more patients in an area. Our teams have become well-oiled machines in the art of setup, patient fittings, teardown and transporting everything to the next city. Our Phase 2 mission in Natal was no different as we prepared for hundreds of patients to receive the gift of hearing in the beautiful coastal city of Brazil.

In Natal, we worked with Dr. Rodolpho and Danielle Pennalima from Otomed and Salutem Soluções Auditivas as our mission partners. With their help, we had patients from surrounding cities and ample volunteers and translators to ensure an opportunity of hearing was given to those in need. The air was filled with the scent of the salty ocean as patients young and old were seen one-by-one as the volunteers were rewarded with happy, hearing smiles. The vision of Founder and Co-Founder, Bill and Tani Austin, continues to come to fruition as our teams grow and evolve to become sustainable and leave a lasting impact in each city.

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ST. KITTS & NEVIS Phase 2 â&#x20AC;¢ June 7 - 8, 2017

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s the year continues forward, the efforts in the Caribbean have also pressed on to build teams, train volunteers and educate on hearing healthcare. In June, our team was present in the beautiful Caribbean region of St. Kitts and Nevis. Starkey Hearing Foundation mission lead, Kevin Ramos was joined by Todd Blum and Patti Ramos with volunteers from the ENT Associates of South Florida. They served hundreds of needy patients on both islands.

One, 11-month-old girl named Andre’is touched the hearts of all that were in Nevis. Her aunt was working at a store across from the mission site when she realized what Starkey Hearing Foundation was doing; she called her brother to bring Andre’is to the hearing mission, with her aunts and grandparents excitedly in tow. Andre’is has microcephaly, which caused hearing impairment. Everyone on the fitting floor was enraptured by the little girl. Never to turn anyone away, the team used their expert skills to create small molds for her ears and find the sweet spot of hearing. It was all worth it as her face began to light up as she responded to the sounds she heard. The entire family erupted in joy as they saw their loved one’s reaction. Once again, we made the family's connection to life through hearing.

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COVER STORY: Friends and Humanitarians

A Call for Compassion and Conscious Kindness Starkey Hearing Technologies hosts discussion and luncheon on expanding peace and understanding benefiting Starkey Hearing Foundation.

tarkey Hearing Foundation founder William F. Austin joined friends and fellow humanitarians, His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama and actor Forest Whitaker, to discuss expanding peace and understanding around the world during a groundbreaking panel discussion hosted by Starkey Hearing Technologies' on June 23, 2017.

During the panel discussion titled, “A Call for Compassion and Conscious Kindness,” the philanthropic leaders defined compassion and broached topics such as religion, strong leadership and ways to give. His Holiness joked that we must have a sincere concern for others, including animals, bugs and insects – except pesky mosquitoes that buzz around your head while you’re sleeping. “There are many aspects to compassion,” His Holiness said. “The sincere concern for others will be central. The more compassion you have, you can carry your whole life honestly, truthfully, it brings inner strength, self-confidence and you have nothing to hide.” Mr. Austin said the panel was a catalyst for creating greater opportunities to expand sharing and caring around the world. He said compassion helps people understand one another. “Compassion begins with respect for life,” Mr. Austin said. “If you truly respect life, you will defend life and try to uplift it. That means caring, which I interpret as love in action. This brings understanding between people as they are cared for, they are nourished spiritually, and they have hope.”

His Holiness and Whitaker have both supported Starkey Hearing Foundation missions in India and Uganda, respectively

While most people think about material possessions or offerings when they consider giving, His Holiness said there are four ways to give. The first is giving to protect life, giving material things, compassionate giving to help someone else without consideration of reward, and finally giving through learning and education. His Holiness and Whitaker have both supported Starkey Hearing Foundation missions in India and Uganda, respectively. Whitaker, who serves as a UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, and Founder and CEO of the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI), was the recipient of the 2014 So the World May Hear Award.

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“Compassion begins with respect for life. If you truly respect life, you will defend life and try to uplift it. That means caring, which I interpret as love in action. This brings understanding between people as they are cared for, they are nourished spiritually, and they have hope.” — William F. Austin, Starkey Hearing Technologies and Starkey Hearing Foundation Founder

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Forest Whitaker, who serves as a UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, and Founder and CEO of the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative, was the recipient of the 2014 So the World May Hear Award.

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“There are four ways to give. The first is giving to protect life, giving material things, compassionate giving to help someone else without consideration of reward, and finally giving through learning and education. ” — His Holiness the XIV th Dalai Lama

“The one thing we have in common on this panel and in this room is we believe we are all one human family, that we are driven by the selflessness of making the world a better place.” — Tani Austin, Co-Founder Starkey Hearing Foundation

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Global Impact Starkey Hearing Foundation is a humanitarian

The Foundation has provided hearing devices

cause that breaks down barriers and borders

in the Americas, African Region, Eastern

around the world to help individuals feel connected

Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and the

and empowered through the gift of hearing.

Western Pacific Region. We have touched

The hearing mission teams travel the globe

millions of people in more than 100 countries.

delivering the gift of hearing to thousands of people, opening the door of opportunity to them.

Canada

United States

Mexico Belize Guatemala Honduras El Salvador Nicaragua Costa Rica Panama

Netherlands Scotland England Northern Ireland Ireland Wales Belgium Austria Switzerland France Croatia Italy Portugal Spain Jamaica Haiti Dominican Republic Puerto Rico St. Kitts and Nevis Antigua Morocco St. Lucia Mauritania Grenada Gambia Trinidad Senegal Guyana Sierra Leone Liberia Ivory Coast Ghana Togo Venezuela Colombia Ecuador Brazil Peru Bolivia Paraguay Chile Uruguay Argentina

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Norway Sweden Denmark Germany Czech Republic Latvia Lithuania Poland Hungary Bosnia Ukraine Serbia Romania Kosovo Albania Moldova Bulgaria Greece

Turkey Kazakhstan Armenia Lebanon Israel/Palestine Jordan Iraq Uzbekistan Iran Afghanistan Kyrgyzstan Pakistan Mongolia

South Korea China Taiwan Vietnam Laos PhilippinesÂ Thailand Cambodia Malaysia Indonesia Marshall Islands Papua New Guinea

Bhutan Egypt Sudan Bangladesh Ethiopia Nepal Uganda Sri Lanka Kenya Rwanda India Burundi Zanzibar Tanzania Malawi MadagascarÂ Mauritius Mozambique Zimbabwe Lesotho Zambia Democratic Republic of the Congo Botswana South Africa Namibia Republic of the Congo Nigeria

Samoa American Samoa

Australia New Zealand

Countries with direct Starkey Hearing Foundation contact and impacted by hope and hearing. S TA R K E Y H E A R I N G FO U N DAT I O N

Did You Know... Depression Those with untreated hearing loss have significantly higher incidence of feelings of isolation and depression.

Lifespan Studies show older adults with untreated impaired hearing have a shorter lifespan than peers with hearing problems that wear hearing aids.

ted have

aids.

Balance People with mild hearing loss (25 dB) are more likely to have a history of falling. Every additional 10 decibels of hearing loss increases the chances of falling by 1.4 times the original risk.

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the Consequences? Cognitive Cognitive Decline Cognitive Decline Decline

Adults* hearing with untreated Adults with untreated loss * Adults with hearingfaster lossuntreated experience experience a 30-40% decline hearing loss experience a 30-40% faster decline in cognitive abilities compared to a faster decline in30-40% cognitive abilities peers with aidedin hearing. cognitivetoabilities compared peers

Dementia

Adults with untreated hearing loss are compared to peers without hearing loss. more likely to develop dementia.

30% 30% 40% 40%

without hearing loss. *75 years and older

*75 years and older

severe loss moderate loss mild loss

Dementia Adults with untreated hearing loss are more likely to develop dementia.

Tinnitus of people with tinnitus have hearing loss.

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Starkey Hearing Foundation Board of Directors Richard S. Brown President, Board of Directors Joint Executive & Finance Committee Chair Grant Committee Chair Director Elizabeth Tulach Vice President, Board of Directors Joint Executive & Finance Committee Member Director Jeff D. Papineau Treasurer, Board of Directors Joint Executive & Finance Committee Member Director

Shara L. Pace Secretary, Board of Directors Joint Executive & Finance Committee Secretary Director Benjamin Hopps Director Paul Nash, D.C. Director Rudi Unterthiner, MD Director

Managing Editor: Holli Reppe Creative Director: Molly McCabe Production Manager: Theresa Turner Art Director: Nate Skogen Photography: Mark McCarthy, Wanjohi Kennedy, Getty, AP Field & Mission Reporter: Larissa Mavros

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Starkey Hearing Foundation uses hearing as a vehicle to reflect caring and improve the lives of individuals, families and communities around the world. We conduct hearing missions in the United States and around the globe in an effort to bring the gift of hearing to people in need.

Spreading Compassion and Kindness

SAVE THE DATE

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6/17

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