Jacelyn's Hearing for Humanity trip
As many of you know, in June 2015 I will be traveling to Malawi, Africa to study and further grow my skills as an Audiologist. I will be volunteering my services through Hearing for Humanity, and although this trip is an invaluable experience, I am responsible for the cost of the 5 week trip.
Malawi, a country in south eastern Africa of about 15 million people, has only 1 ENT and no Malawian audiologists. A child born in Malawi is more than twice as likely to be deaf as a child born in the developed world. In a country ridden with illnesses such as meningitis, malaria, measles, ear infections, ototoxicity and other preventable diseases, there is an overwhelming amount of people who need our services.
There is a scarcity of basic diagnostic equipment as well as fully functioning hearing aids. What they lack most of all is manpower. During our stay in Malawi, we help cut down on a 10-month waitlist.
We will be traveling to schools for the Deaf, nurseries, hospitals, and clinics. We will also have the opportunity to test about 8,000 patients with HIV as part of a research study on how HIV affects hearing.
Apart from extensive training and clinic hours, there will also be time to explore the beautiful villages of Malawi, as well as an African safari in Zambia!
Words cannot properly express how much of an impact this trip will have on me. Not only as an audiologist, but as a CODA. I forsee myself evolving both intellectually and emotionally as I gain experiences that will bring me closer to my family, the Deaf community, my colleagues, and with my future patients.
Any donation is helpful! If you are unable to help financially, please contribute your support by following me in my adventure! If you donate, please leave your name and address so I can express my gratitude.
Much love to you all,
_|m/
-Jacelyn
Here are some links for those of you who are interested in finding out more about my trip:
http://www.hearingforhumanity.org/index.php
http://vimeo.com/116984918