Supporters from around the world come together in St. Paul, Minnesota for 15th annual So The World May Hear Awards Gala in 2015. [Photo/starkeyhearingfoundation.org]
Fifth-grader Xie Wen'an lost his hearing at an early age. Although he went to school with other children, he had a difficult time making friends and understanding lessons. But after receiving hearing aids from the Starkey Hearing Foundation, he found that he could hear teachers clearly, even at a normal volume.
"So the World May Hear" is a global charity project by the Starkey Hearing Foundation, providing medical aid, hearing aids and other assistance to needy people around the world. The Foundation has donated nearly one million hearing aids worldwide and helped thousands of Chinese hearing-impaired people. With people-to-people diplomacy and innovation, the project has become a model for international charity.
Perfect Match
Compared with traditional aid models, modern charity initiatives solve social problems with the help of new technologies and concepts.
In 2011, Tao Siliang, president of the Audiology Development Foundation of China, flew to the U.S. to meet the directors of Starkey Hearing Technologies. She had heard about them through Wan Xuanrong, whose struggle against deafness inspired the movie Breaking the Silence.
Founded in 1967 by Bill Austin, Starkey Hearing Technologies produces hearing aids and distributes them in 32 countries, generating US $7 billion per year. In 1973, Austin established the Starkey Hearing Foundation to benefit the hearing impaired worldwide. The Foundation has reached over 50 countries, but China was not among them.
During her meeting with Austin, Tao asked why his team had come to the Middle East and India, but not China. Austin answered that he hadn't found any suitable partners in China.
"Then work with me!" Tao responded with enthusiasm. "I'm committed to helping the hearing-impaired, and you are the largest producer of hearing aids in the U.S. There are more than 20 million hearing-impaired people in China. Why don't you join us?"
After an energetic meeting, Tao and Austin established "So the World May Hear" to help people in China free of charge. Two months later, Austin and his wife visited Xi'an and decided to begin their charitable mission there the following year.
A boy receives hearing aids from the Starkey Hearing Foundation. [Photo/starkeyhearingfoundation.org]
Xi'an Mayor Dong Jun praised the project and cleared the way for its operations. Cooperation between the government and the charity foundation went smoothly and was a big success.
Tao praised the Starkey team in China, saying, "You've not only helped over 3,000 hearing-impaired people but also done a wonderful job of people-to-people diplomacy. The Americans were impressed, moved and fascinated by Xi'an."
The Starkey Hearing Foundation described their first mission to China as "unparalleled."
Since their first success, the Starkey Hearing Foundation has donated 13,048 customized hearing aids in Xi'an, Chengdu, Guilin and their surrounding areas, and funded over 7,000 hearing-impaired people. They hope to help 100,000 more in the coming decade.
The hearing aids donated are all embedded with advanced digital chips and use customized in-canal technology to fit each individual's ears and hearing ability.
On the donation site, a volunteer group of doctors and audiologists from China and the U.S. saw each patient individually and helped them through the whole process, including hearing tests, sculpting ear models, wearing the hearing aids and teaching them how to use the devices. Passing on Love
When the project came to Dali, a local resident came for help.When he arrived, he seemed quiet and withdrawn. But after he received the hearing aids, he transformed into an active speaker with sparkling eyes. Now that he was able to communicate with people, he said, he would find work outside his village, and build a new house for his family. This is another example of how a world of sound can change people's lives.
Austin once said that he was more than a hearing aid producer. If he just wanted to donate stuff, simply shipping out several trainloads of products would suffice. But to truly make a difference to people's lives, he needed to understand the place where they live, their culture, and establish bonds with them.
"In small cities of Yunnan, the people live closer to nature, and they turn out to be simpler and more sincere than city dwellers," said Austin. "These people come from remote frontiers and look a little bit shy, but I believe if we open up a window, they will be able to feel our love. I want to pass on love through communication with people."
There was a father who traveled over 100 kilometers from his mountain village to find help for his daughter. However, the mission was about to close when he arrived, and he was still far from the hospital where hearing tests were conducted. A policeman drove the father and daughter to the hospital, and with last-minute coordination the closed procedures reopened for the little girl. During the donations, despite a back injury, Austin stayed on his feet all day long. When helping small children, he had to kneel down.
The donation drive lasted for 14 days, and Wang Xingning, chairman of the Yunnan Province Disabled Persons Federation, was on the site every day. When it rained, Wang set up tents so people could take shelter.
During the initial preparations Wang and his team travelled throughout the mountains to gather information. "We need not only the advanced hearing aids from Starkey Hearing Foundation, but also the spirit of Austin's team. They came across the world in person to donate hearing aids and help our people. We feel their love and friendship across borders," Wang said.
"Intercultural communication has many facets; people communicate across languages, cultures, and religions, but the communication of emotions is at its core," Tao said.
"There are around 361,000 disabled people in Guilin, whose incomes are half that of low-income groups, so they are among the most disadvantaged," new chairman of Guilin's Municipal Disabled Persons Federation, formerly in charge of industrial development in one of the city's districts, Li He said.
Social Support
Charity cannot go on without support from the public.
There are many big names among the volunteers and supporters of "So the World May Hear," including former U.S. presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, and film actors Brad Pitt, Kevin Costner, Marlee Martlin, and Jet Lee.
The project also drew many respected Chinese luminaries. Tai Lihua, a deaf dancer, is the project's goodwill ambassador in China. Other volunteers include Li Daoyu, China's former ambassador to the UN, Wei Jianguo, former deputy minister of commerce, well-known writer Yi Zhongtian, NBA star Yao Ming, head coach of the national shooting team Wang Yifu, badminton world champion Xie Xingfang, entrepreneurs Huang Nubo and Shen Guojun, and top model Ma Yanli.
All have made donations and taken part in many charitable activities. Their participation and advocacy have drawn attention to the project.
Tao Siliang's daughter Tao Ye has participated in the project as well. She not only attracted corporate sponsorship, but also led her employees to volunteer for the project in Yunnan Province at their own expense.
Love points the road to light and gives people dignity. From the perspective of love, the American and Chinese dreams are very similar.
