Losing your hearing to an infection at the age of 14 would be hard anywhere, but in Rimkieta even harder, if that’s possible. The case of Ismael, who recovered his hearing at 23 …provides the daily dose of energy I need to keep going!
I always say that Burkina “robs” my energy daily. Most of the days it does so little by little, so I don’t realize it until I’m empty, from contradictions and dilemmas I run up against. Other days the theft is brusque, hitting me like an axe with one of the major difficulties I unfortunately have to deal with from time to time.
But each and every day, it gives me back twice as much energy as it takes from me: the sound of the 300 nursery school children that reaches my office; the greetings from girls in the project we call “unschooled girls,” – so as not to call them “Cinderellas,” which is what they really are – as they arrive at midday with their huge smiles and their “bonjour, Tanti” before going into class; and of course, cases like that of Ismael – the second beneficiary of FAR’s university scholarship project.
Ismael lost his hearing at 14, surely from meningitis, but he was able to overcome the hardship to earn one of the best exit exam scores of the more than 400 students FAR sponsored last year. He did it – as you can imagine – in a school lacking a program for deaf students, without being able to hear the teacher, by copying his fellow students’ notes.
Ismael with D. Ezequiel and D. Martha from Emsimision
Not content to rest on his laurels, last August he came to request a college scholarship to study “Management and Finance.” He wants to specialize in the search for funds to develop his country’s health, and above all, “…to find the necessary mechanisms to control and monitor those funds for their correct use…” (from his scholarship application)
Ismael deserved a scholarship more than any other candidate. But we decided that, before beginning his university studies, we should help him as much as possible with his hearing so that he could take the best advantage possible of his studies and later professional employment.
The results of the audiometry were favorable for the placement of hearing aids and thanks to Emsimisión (Http://www.emsimision.org/), Ismael can hear again. It’s difficult to describe the expression on his face – both nervous and moved – when his hearing aids were placed for the first time. Ismael has begun a speech therapy program to get used to hearing again and to help improve his speech, which had suffered greatly from so many years of profound deafness.
Ismael listens carefully all the sounds
And the good news does not end here! The foundation “Pro Literary Culture,” through the FAR, has decided to sponsor Ismael’s university studies and speech therapy sessions. He is eager to begin in October. Until then Ismael will take a computer course to get some training in that area before starting the university.
The expression on Ismael’s face the day he heard again didn’t only double but tripled my energy. I give thanks to God for this privileged post that I occupy in society, to the Rimkieta neighborhood for bringing me these moments of happiness, and to Emsimisión and to the Pro Literary Culture Foundation for helping us help Ismael. Many, many thanks!