“When you are a parent, you lose sleep when you don’t know what is wrong with your child and you don’t know how to help.  For the past 6 months, I have not been able to sleep because I didn’t know what I could do for my son.  But now you have given my son help, so next time you see me, I will be a much fatter man!” (Because he’ll be able to sleep now).

“Before I came here, I didn’t think there was any hope for either of my children.  I just wanted the best for them, but I didn’t think they could be helped.  But now you have given them hope for their future.  Thank you so much. God bless.”

These were just some of the things said to the CLASP International team and the ENT Clinic Staff at Kijabe Hospital in Kijabe, Kenya.  For 2 weeks, we saw dozens of patients needing audiology exams and were able to provide several with new hope for life with solar powered hearing aids.  The lives of young and old alike were given new hope because the simple joy of hearing the sounds of everyday life were now available to them.

The stories don’t end there, however.  Not only were the immediate lives impacted, but through the masters level programs that CLASP is implementing in conjunction with the local universities, even more lives stand to be impacted through Kenyans who have been given this specialized training.  So yes, several Kenyans can now hear, but through the long-term projects being implemented, generations ahead can look with hope to being able to hear and speak or have access to specialed care.