African Inland Mission 'Ears to Hear' Project to Aid Hearing Loss Problem

By Elton Jones, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Two medical specialists have partnered with the African Inland Mission (AIM) to move forward with a new building project to aid young people suffering from hearing loss in the region.

Dr. Thomas Boeve, an ear, nose and throat specialist, is working alongside his wife Jolene, a nurse and Audiology Technician. Both individuals began a full-time ENT and Audiology Department at Kijabe Hospital, which they serve through the Africa Inland Mission group.

Boeve and Jolene's primary goal is to detect early hearing loss in young people and older individuals. They are also looking to analyze the age and disease appropriate treatments to correct hearing disabilities.

Both medical officials have helped establish the "Ears to Hear" project, which provides quality solar-powered hearing aids for children. They are currently in the process of developing a state-of-the-art testing and treatment facility in Kijabe.

When fully funded, the medical treatment facility will provide hearing loss treatment to some of the poorest people in the world. Residents of sub-Saharan Africa will be a part of the regions that will receive this aid. So far, the facility is $66,470 away from reaching completion.

In sub-Saharan Africa, over 102 million children aged 5 to 14 suffer from moderate to severe hearing loss. In Kenya, of the approximately 13,000 children currently in deaf schools, more than 5,000 are believed to have correctable hearing loss.

Treating the hearing loss problem for children in developing nations is particularly difficult. This building project is looking to aid the situation in the African regions.

The building project is still in progress. Plans have now been drawn up and discussed between both individuals. The team is looking forward to expanding the building to three more rooms and a quiet audiology room to add to the ENT clinic.

Boeve and Jolene's overall mission, aside from assisting persons with hearing loss and helping to correct the disability, is to share the love of Christ and the Word of God with their patients. "It is pure joy to see the first smile on a child's face after putting a hearing aid on them," Jolene said in a statement.

The Africa Inland Mission is a Christian missionary sending agency. The organization's website stated that it is solely "dedicated to reaching the peoples of Africa with the Good News of Jesus Christ."