Hear the World

01/10/2026

Early screening and detection is one of the strongest mechanisms available to support children diagnosed with hearing loss, but often children are identified too late.

This Willow Media Story highlights the work of our project partners in Kenya, the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH), in collaboration with the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc., as they pilot Kenya's first universal newborn hearing screening program at KUTRRH and work to expand school screenings.

These same school screenings impacted the families of Stanley, Gracious, and other Kenyan children through early diagnosis, hearing technology, and auditory-verbal therapy.

Learn more about KUTRRH as they aim to serve as comprehensive service provider for ear and hearing care in Kenya.

The country's first structured universal newborn hearing screening service is a step towards catching hearing loss before babies leave the hospital, rather than after developmen…

15/09/2026

In low- and middle-income countries, about 1 in 100 children has a diagnosed hearing loss, yet many more go undetected until it’s too late.
Early screening is one of the most powerful tools we have to address this gap in diagnosis.

Through our annual fundraising initiative, Give for Good, the support and generosity of Sonova employees and their network has helped us bring essential hearing care to more children.

Last year in 2025, our supporters helped us raise close to 25,000 CHF. With these additional funds, we screened 5,600 children and provided 150 children with the diagnosis and hearing aids they needed.

Thank you to everyone for your support and we know that this year we will be able to reach even more children!

01/09/2026

We’re hiring! Hear the World Foundation is looking for a Senior Program Manager (Temporary Cover) to join our team in Stäfa, Switzerland.

In this role, you’ll be providing flexible program management support across the Hear the World portfolio and coordinating the Foundation’s corporate volunteering activities. Specific areas of focus will be defined based on the successful candidate’s skills and experience.

What you bring:
✔️ 3+ years of experience in relevant environment
✔️ Proven project management skills and continuous improvement mindset
✔️ Relevant experience in foundation operations in an international environment
✔️ Cosmopolitan with a truly international mindset, cross-cultural sensitivity and understanding

Learn more about role and apply here, https://jobs.sonova.com/job/Staefa-Program-Manager-Hear-the-World-Foundation-%28Temporary-Cover%29/1430508533/

20/08/2026

Our shared commitment to supporting children with hearing loss continues as we expand our partnerships. Hear the World Foundation is supporting 12 projects across 9 countries in Asia, Africa, Middle-East and Latin America. We are excited to announce the launch of two new project partnerships and the renewal of three existing collaborations.

New partners:
• Kenyatta University Teaching Referral and Research Hospital and Clinton Health Access Initiative, (Kenya)
• Ayati National Centre for Children with Disabilities, (Sri Lanka)

Renewed support:
• Fundacion Sonrisas Que Eschuchan, (Guatemala)
• Jordan University Hospital, (Jordan)
• Jordan University of Science and Technology, (Jordan)
• Sense International Kenya, (Kenya)

Learn more about our each of these partners and their impact in low-and middle-income countries, https://www.hear-the-world.com/our-2026-2027-projects-new-and-renewed-commitments/

06/08/2026

Ayati is Sri Lanka’s first National Centre for Children with Disabilities, located within the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya. We are excited to welcome them as a new project partners of Hear the World Foundation.

Their work focuses on equal access to education, healthcare, social participation, and research and development facilities. Within the context of hearing healthcare, Ayati aims to provide hearing screening for every child at school entry level in the Ja-Ela Divisional Secretariat, with the goal of achieving 80% screening coverage, while also building the capacity of pediatric audiologists and hearing health technicians in the region.

Learn more about Ayati Trust and their work to transform the lives for children and families experiencing hearing loss in Sri Lanka, https://www.hear-the-world.com/project/sri-lanka-ayati

09/07/2026

Early identification of hearing loss in children depends on more than clinical expertise, it requires public health systems and policies that prioritize screening and early intervention.

In Guatemala, our project partner Sonrisas que Escuchan (SQE) is working to change that. In close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, SQE has helped advance neonatal hearing screening across 10 hospitals nationwide, while school-based screening in 85 schools reaches children who may develop hearing loss later or were missed at birth. By consistently sharing screening data and outcomes with policymakers, SQE has helped secure the Ministry's commitment to fund further screenings, a significant step toward embedding hearing health within the national healthcare system.

Through sustained, evidence-based engagement with government stakeholders, SQE is helping move hearing screening from isolated initiatives toward a coordinated, sustainable national approach.

Read more about SQE's advocacy work here, https://www.hear-the-world.com/activity-report/activity-report-25-26/our-partners-guatemala-25-26/

07/07/2026

Which interventions actually help children with hearing disabilities get into school and stay learning once they're there?

Dr. Frank Otieno Odhiambo, a researcher at Precision Development in Nairobi, shared striking findings from two studies in a recent Hear the World Foundation webinar. First, disability legislation works, but only when it's specific. For example in Rwanda, laws that included sign language and assistive devices directly, drove a 16-percentage-point jump in school attendance for children with hearing disabilities, far outpacing generic anti-discrimination laws elsewhere.

Second, technology isn't automatically inclusive. In a field trial across 63 schools in Homa Bay County, Kenya, tablets loaded with a literacy app helped children with disabilities overall, but children with hearing disabilities saw almost no gain, because the app relied on spoken instructions. The takeaway, universal design isn't the same as inclusive design.

Learn more about the findings Dr. Odhiambo shared with Hear the World and our partners, https://www.hear-the-world.com/law-learning-and-listening-what-moves-the-needle-for-children-with-hearing-disabilities-in-africa/

30/06/2026

Access to hearing care is essential for children with hearing loss, especially in regions where services are limited. But through collaboration with other sustainable and scalable partners more children can access the audiological care they need.

Our project partner in Peru, Oír Para Crecer (OPC), has expanded hearing care beyond Lima by training and equipping local organizations to provide essential services in their communities. This decentralized approach reduces barriers to care, ensuring more children receive the support they need close to home.

Through this model, OPC has equipped local partners to deliver high-quality and consistent care. This approach not only increases access but fosters a deeper connection with the communities they serve.

We would also like to extend a warm thank you to the Gebauer Stiftung for their generous support of OPC and their help in bringing hearing care to more children throughout Peru.

Learn more about our partner OPC here, https://www.hear-the-world.com/project/oir-para-crecer/

25/06/2026

In Cambodia, access to ear and hearing care, especially for children, has long been limited by gaps in specialist services, geographic barriers and fragmented referral pathways.

For more than 16 years, Hear the World Foundation has partnered with All Ears Cambodia (AEC), founded in 2003 by clinical audiologist Glyn Vaughan. Together, we supported the development of an ear mold laboratory in Siem Reap, communication therapy services in Phnom Penh, and mobile outreach clinics reaching high-risk and underserved communities. Through AEC's Project ECHO initiative, pediatric hearing services have been extended across central, northern, and eastern Cambodia, helping to embed hearing health within national systems.

Today, AEC operates four centers across Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Kratié, and Battambang, supported by a network of more than 80 partner organizations and public hospitals. Over the past decade, thousands of children have received hearing education, screening, and hearing aids. As this partnership concludes, AEC stands as a strong organization, with skilled professionals, established services, and a growing national presence.

Read more about AEC and their achievements, https://www.hear-the-world.com/activity-report/activity-report-25-26/our-partners-cambodia-25-26/

09/06/2026

In Kenya, ear and hearing care had been embedded into Kwale County's Health Development Plan, but without resources or trained staff, it was not able to actualize.

Our partner, Sense International Kenya, has found a way to bridge this gap and identify children with hearing loss at touchpoints where they already receive care. Nearly 90 healthcare workers across maternal health, pediatrics, maternity, and newborn care departments are now trained to conduct hearing screening as part of routine hospital services.

Through this program they have been able to create a system that is built on shared responsibility, rotational schedules, and institutional ownership, all while looking to further expand this work to four sub-counties across Kwale, Kenya.

By embedding hearing screening into routine healthcare services and strengthening expertise, the program is building a sustainable model that empowers local professionals to drive long-term improvements in hearing care within their communities.

Read the full story and learn more about Sense International Kenya, https://www.hear-the-world.com/activity-report/activity-report-25-26/our-partners-kenya-25-26/