A gift to this project is life-changing! Across South Africa many parents and teachers are not equipped to identify hearing and vision impairments amongst children. Often these children go un-identified and fail their education leaving them stuck in the cycle of poverty. This project aim’s to identify children that are in need of support and provide them with access to life-changing hearing aids and glasses to help them get back on track in their education and break the stigma surrounding these issues.

Did you know that in South Africa there are 3.5 million children, combined, facing vision and hearing impairments and for a country facing intense poverty and inequality this is an issue that is predominantly affecting the poorer communities? Due to lack of funding or access to resources such as hearing aids, glasses or treatment centres, children are facing setbacks to their learning and are often bullied due to the lack of education and awareness around the issue. We aim to educate communities and provide resources to children in need.

1.5 million children under the age of 15 are currently facing hearing impairments in South Africa. A further 2 million are subject to vision difficulties. Families are often unaware of their challenges making it hard to reach out for help or solutions. The stigma associated with any sort of impairment is another reason why families often don’t ask for help or report it to the schools. Many families also lack the funding and access to resources to deal with the impairment, leaving children to struggle, this is where we step in.

We will provide outreach programs through schools in rural and disadvantaged communities to test children for visions and hearing impairments. This will help us identify the students in need and build awareness with teachers and other key community leaders around the signs children with these disabilities will show, to ensure all children are receiving the correct help and assistance to boost their confidence and keep them on track with their education

Children that lack adequate vision and hearing, fall behind in school, often resulting in a lack of income and are also subject to bullying. By tackling the root cause of their learning difficulties, your donation will not only provide children with the ability to live life to the fullest but reduce inequalities they face on a daily basis and include them in the development process. This will reduce their dependence on their family, government and foreign aid and empower them economically.