Volunteers, Rachel Lamb, Phonak Clinical Trainer, and Stephanie West,
Unitron Clinical Trainer, were given the opportunity to volunteer with Hear the World’s project partners, Sense International Kenya in Kwale, Kenya and Christian Blind Mission in Lusaka, Zambia.
Rachel Lamb, Phonak Clinical Trainer, volunteered with Sense International Kenya in Kwale County, where she provided technical support and training to local audiologists. Her focus centered on specialized pediatric assessment techniques such as Conditioned Play Audiometry (CPA) and Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA), which are essential for accurately testing young children’s hearing.
“In my professional and personal life I have always had a desire to give back to my community,” Rachel explained. “When I heard about the opportunity to volunteer for Hear the World, I looked into it immediately.”
She considered several locations before selecting Kenya, drawn partly by family connections to charitable work elsewhere in Africa. “I heard wonderful stories about the continent and culture. This was an opportunity to experience it myself and give back to my Audiology community.”
Stephanie West, Unitron Clinical Trainer, chose to volunteer with the project partner Christian Blind Mission in Lusaka, Zambia.
“I really enjoy helping people. It makes me happy,” Stephanie said. “I was drawn to volunteer with Hear the World as I could potentially provide support to people and see the world while doing it!”
Her volunteer experience focused on training 16 audiology technicians who staff various clinics throughout Zambia. The team gathered at Beit Cure Children’s Hospital in Lusaka to review CPA and VRA techniques, building on her strong clinical background working with diverse pediatric patient populations.
The group also traveled approximately two hours to a satellite clinic in Kabwe, where they provided direct community support. Throughout the day, they completed hearing screenings for numerous patients and fitted hearing aids to 13 children who had previously been identified with hearing loss but were waiting for devices.
This experience opened her eyes to the unique challenges facing audiology in Zambia. “There are currently no formal school or training programs,” she noted. The training sessions included extensive discussions about the differences between represented clinics, the types of patients they serve, and the solutions needed to fully perform their role, whether training, equipment, or supplies.
“It’s amazing how these groups are able to do so much for their communities with very few resources,” she reflected. “This experience and these discussions will definitely stay with me for a long time.”
Rachel and Stephanie’s combined efforts represent more than just short-term support. By training local professionals in specialized pediatric assessment techniques, Hear the World volunteers are helping build sustainable hearing healthcare capacity that will benefit children and families for years to come.