20 years ago, I started an international missions organization in Africa that is still going strong, and also set up Audiology services as part of a medical outreach to India. I have continued to do outreach in local community throughout my clinical career in Canada. I now want to reach the world with general self-sustaining initiatives including specifically hearing-related ventures like Hear the World or the Starkey Hearing Foundation, but unlike them, to do it with a structured, self-sustaining social enterprise model.
In terms of hearing-related initiatives, the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated in their 2018 resolution that hearing health is a major health care focus. Hearing health connects us to each other, our communities, and the world. For those who have hearing loss, appropriate and timely interventions can facilitate access to education, employment, communication and income. Below are some key facts taken from the World Health Organization’s hearing loss fact sheet:
- By 2050 nearly 2.5 billion people are projected to have some degree of hearing loss and at least 700 million will require hearing rehabilitation.
- Over 1 billion young adults are at risk of permanent, avoidable hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices.
- An annual additional investment of less than US$ 1.40 per person is needed to scale up ear and hearing care services globally.
- Over a 10-year period, this promises a return of nearly US$ 16 for every US dollar invested.
- Using resources from my consumer and business initiatives, Hearo and Ossicle, I will be seeking partners for expanding global access to hearing healthcare. I am looking for partners. If you have contacts, ideas, or anything to contribute to this new venture, please reach out to me.
At this stage in my life and career, I want to use the skills I have learned in business and clinical care and transfer them to the other arenas. I applaud the work of organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse, the Kelowna Gospel Mission, Teen Challenge, and many similar purpose-driven organizations that make the world, and the heart, a better place.
I want to partner with like-minded organizations and community influencers to create solutions to social justice issues that are adversely impacting the lives and potentials of great people. I want to do this based on compassionate, Christian, and conservative values. Politically I want to be a part of effecting positive change in our province. Some current interests include providing structured refuge to teens who are at risk due to mental, physical or emotional health issues before they enter the cycle of homelessness, drugs and/or alcohol to empower them with school and work and a caring community to support them. Another key interest is in providing a respite for couples with kids facing divorce. I think it is essential to provide a pause before life-changing decisions are made and to give more time to process, think and plan before taking any action. I think that the unhoused and those in addiction should not receive government funds as cash-in-hand, which perpetrates the cycle of homelessness and addiction, but instead receive constructive help paid with those funds, while providing constructive service to the community in return. I think there should be provincial funding for seniors for hearing aids. I think the education system should use inclusive Roger technology in the classroom in K-12 and post-secondary to provide sound to all and not just the hearing OR hard-of-hearing kids. Other interests include social enterprise to solve problems and fund the work of outreach. This is the same model underlying my interests in international audiology outreach.