Sixteen children enjoyed receiving a gift of equipment that helps them improve their hearing. Hearing aids were provided to the children during a joyful celebration on Monday at the Hyatt Hotel, attended by representatives of Rotary Clubs and the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The children were selected from a database of families unable to pay for the devices for their children. Those chosen represent different regions and included Syrian refugee children of both genders all under the age 10.

Ghada Fanek, President of the Rotary Club of Amman Cosmopolitan, the project coordinating club, said that children in Jordan benefited from the Rotary Zurich International grant. AL Fanej praised the coordinator of the grant from Zurich Rasha Odeh, who promised that the grant to be a pilot phase to be followed with additional grants that will serve children in Jordan with hearing disabilities. “This project highlights our commitment to improving the lives of children with hearing disabilities and enabling them to fully participate in our society,” Fanek explained. “This step reflects the spirit of humanity and cooperation that we always seek to promote through our community projects,” said Fanek.

Rasha Odeh expressed her happiness with the success of the project. “When I moved to Switzerland and joined the Rotary Club of Zurich International, my first goal was to establish a partnership that would benefit my country, Jordan. My greatest joy was to have the “Jordanian Hope Hearing Aids” project approved and supported. This is a great delight, especially when it comes to children.” My goal is to repeat this achievement annually.”

For her part, Rasha Al-Adwan, Director of the Independent Living Directorate at the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, praised this initiative, stressing that it will positively reflect on the integration of children into the educational system and  into society. She pointed out that the percentage of people with disabilities in Jordan is 11.2% according to the latest population census in Jordan in 2015, and that hearing impairment is the third largest disability rate after motor and visual disabilities.

The Jordanian Hearing Technology Company provided a 50% discount on the devices in support of the project; an expert from the company also provided training for the children’s families.

Rotary clubs encourage serving the local community and focusing on improving living conditions, through sustainable projects that benefit everyone.