Promoting education on hearing impairment in Namibia
Awareness
Two events were recently held in Namibia to round off the European Union co-sponsored advocacy project called “Empowerment through Education”, reports AllAfrica.
“Empowerment through Education” was a 3-year initiative co-funded by the EU and supported by the Association for Children with Language, Speech and Hearing Impairments of Namibia (CLaSH) aimed at increasing public awareness about hearing loss in children by promoting early identification, early intervention, and the early education of children with hearing loss.
A documentary called “Joelma’s story” was launched to highlight the project and a seminar on the topic was held in the country’s capital city at the Windhoek Country Club. At the event, which brought together more than 80 delegates working in the field, the Deputy Minister of Education, Arts and Culture, Hon Ester Anna Nghipondoka said “The Ministry of Education will ensure access to appropriate support, such as early childhood intervention and education for children with disabilities and ensure sufficient preparation for them to lead a full and meaningful life in adulthood.”
Over the course of the project, NAD 3 million (USD 200,000) was injected by the EU as co-funding to increase public awareness about hearing loss in children. The project was carried out in seven regions across the country, mainly in the disadvantaged northern areas. Nearly 4,000 learners were screened for hearing loss and over 200 were fitted with hearing aids, says the report. The major concern identified by the project was the consistently high percentage of young people with preventable or treatable hearing loss, at around 40%.
Source: AllAfrica
