In partnership with Entheos Audiology Cooperative, we believe that hearing health care is a privilege, and it is our pleasure to take that privilege to areas of the world that do not have it.
We are proud of the many international mission trips that we have taken in the past and will continue to plan in the future. Mission sites include the Middle East, Zambia, Mozambique, Guatemala, and Ecuador.
Audiologists and volunteers from private practices around the country have participated in mission trips with Entheos.
Students from the University of Wisconsin, Ohio State University, and others have participated in mission trips.
Thousands of individuals have been fit with hearing devices and given the Gift of Hearing. Children, parents, families, and communities have been transformed. With the ability to hear, people can now receive an education and improve their lives.
In the southern region of Africa resides Zambia, a developing nation of almost 17 million people, full of amazing wildlife and incredible cultures. Yet with all those individuals, it only has one audiologist for over 290,000 square miles of rural villages, which means that opportunities like healthcare and education come sparingly, if ever.
For someone suffering hearing loss, chances for education and finding a job severely diminish, and safety becomes a serious concern. Even more so, it can be extremely difficult to connect with family members and friends. Most are left without hope that anything could ever change.
But hearing can transform someone’s life no matter where they live! There’s nothing like a hearing smile splashing across a child’s face when they hear for the first time. Empowering a mom to hear her kids, a husband to hear his wife, a kid to go to school, a co-worker to hear her boss, or a grandparent to hear his grandchildren… these are worth any effort and distance.
That’s why we took a team of the best audiologists in the country to Zambia. Each run successful practices, bring state-of-the-art equipment, and give personalize care to every single patient, just like at home. We believe by partnering with the community and offering excellent care, we’re truly making a difference in the world. A hearing smile means joy in any language.
In the town of Zarqa’, a Syrian refugee camp, one mother shared her heart-breaking story with us. When the bombing started, she raced out of her home in Syria with nothing except her purse that had her children’s birth certificates. Through it all, she had hearing damage. The team was able to help her hear better and as she says restore her dignity. The mother also says she will be able to better raise her kids because she can now help them and also hear them so they won’t get frustrated with her. Even though her face was covered by her veil, everyone could see the smile she had on her face as her eyes lit up.
Day-after-day, clinic after clinic, the team helped young and old. In one clinic, you had two very distinct “hearing smiles.” One elderly man was very grateful that he would be able to hear his family again including all his grandchildren. On the other end, you had 3-year-old Rawan, who heard for the first time in her life. It is a small thing to many, but is actually an important moment in her life.It is the first step in her communicating and interacting with the world around her.
Even though this will be the sixth mission trip to the Middle East there is still much work to be done. Every day, more refugees pour into Jordan and need help.
Join Ontario Hearing Centers in Helping Others
