Christmas Appeal: Supporting Deaf Children in Rwanda

As part of my company's community and charity work, we are involved with a project in Rwanda, supporting very under priveledged deaf children.

As you prepare for the celebration of Christmas, buying presents and baking the cakes and mince pies, please spare a thought for those less fortunate than we are. 

This is Israel. He is 11 yrs old, and until May this year, he had never been to school.  He was born profoundly deaf, into a very poor rural family in Rwanda.  His mother has since died, and he was discovered by ‘Chance for Childhood’ workers in Rwanda when they were visiting remote villages in the Nyabihu District. His father is very poor. Israel had no decent clothes, the ones he is wearing are made at the School for him.  His shoes are far too big, but he has shoes!

When he arrived at the school, he knew no sign language, could not read or write, and communicated by gesture.  There are no hearing aids available to him either.  But he has proved to be a quick learner!  He has learnt the alphabet, signs for many practical things and basic numbers and arithmetic.  He enjoys school and has made friends with whom he can communicate.

Israel will get no presents this Christmas.  However, Chance for Childhood and Nyabihu Demonstration Centre for the Deaf, are giving him the best present they can – a language, the chance of an education,  vocational training when he is older, friends just like him, three meals a day, access to health care and much more. They are giving him a chance to move out of abject poverty, - a future where he could earn a living and provide for his family.

There are 109 children just like him at the Centre.  However, the Centre is in a rented building, which is in very poor condition, and part of it is due for demolition next year to make room for a new road.  But they have acquired land to build a new purpose built Centre. The plans for the building are now being drawn up and the next stage will be to start building.  Just £5 will buy 100 bricks, and we need a lot of bricks!

Please donate what you can so that children like Israel can have a more secure future.  

Thank you. 

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/NNS

Ear Safety This Guy Fawkes Night

The days and nights around Fireworks Night are extremely hazardous to your ears. Fireworks can cost you your hearing.

For the lucky ones, their hearing returns, but many must live with their hearing loss or tinnitus for the rest of their lives. There is no cure for noise induced hearing damage. But you can easily prevent it.

Two thousandth of a second is all it takes for an exploding firecracker to put out the noise intensity to put your hearing at risk for life. The burst of noise is so short that you may not sense its true intensity.

Perhaps you love the thrill of fireworks, but you better watch out and be aware that*:

• 1 in 10,000 people suffer permanent hearing damage because of fireworks
• Young adults under the age of 25 are three times more likely than other groups to suffer fireworks related hearing damage
• The loud sounds from fireworks can cause hearing loss if protection is not used. The noise levels produced by fireworks can reach 150-175dB. The recommendation from World Health Organisation is not to be exposed to more than 140dB of peak sound pressure for adults and 120dB for children.
• Infants generally experience the greatest sound pressure and should not be exposed to fireworks.

Take Precautions

Guy Fawkes Night will be celebrated but take care of yourself and each other. Use earplugs to protect your hearing. Simple off the shelf ear plugs would do the trick and for the little ones there are fantastic, inexpensive noise breaker ear defenders - which look pretty cool also.

Make sure that no one else is standing too close when you light the fuse of your fireworks. Most of those suffering hearing damage did not cause it themselves. They suffered the bad luck of being too close to the fireworks of others.

If dealing with fireworks of 170 dB, adults needs to be 15 to 20 meters away from the fireworks before they are at a safe distance, while children have to be 50 to 60 meters away from the same fireworks.

*These conclusions were based on a study of hearing injuries related to fireworks celebrations in Germany, 2000.