Hear4ears

10/04/2025

📣"Every child deserves to hear and be heard in their own language" 🤟

Beautiful video and such a special message, Hope-hear

The privilege gap in South Africa contributes to the double marginalisation that poor children with hearing loss endure.

25/02/2025

I’m Siyanga Sodam and I have hearing impairment. I hope that my story may inspire others and change the way the world thinks about the deaf people.

I could say, being deaf doesn’t mean we can’t do what the world can do, like become an engineer. Anything is possible. In-fact, my disability has changed my life, forever! I don’t regret it because it is a gift from God. It has helped me learn to accept myself and I live my life with it.

I no longer need to hide it from the world because at the end of the day, it has a way of coming out.

I was born deaf, and it wasn’t easy for my family. I struggled to hear voices. Even now, they must face me when they speak to me as I sometimes lip-read. I can’t hear them without my hearing aids.

Previously, I even struggled to hear with my hearing aids. I could not participate in class, or understand what the teacher was teaching. I failed. I couldn’t do well at school or communicate with others.

The audiologist discovered I had very low hearing. I took a decision to be considered for a cochlear implant at Tygerberg Hospital. I had an operation and received the cochlear implant, in my right ear, in November 2019. It has improved my hearing, as well as my speech. When I was in grade 9 in high school, I passed well because of my cochlear implant. I can understand people now.

I will always need support and assistance because of my disability so that I can be at the top, which means to be ahead of others, to be the best version of myself.

These are some examples:
I thought I could manage on my own, but then I realized that I had failed the modules at the University of Cape Town and needed assistance. University is not the same as the school that I went to, where I used to get so much assistance and love form the teachers. I managed to ask for help in the second semester. It was difficult but I never gave up on the modules that I failed and I repeated them until I passed, successfully. I study hard! I need to have knowledge in therapies for the exam, but also, so that I may assist clients with their disabilities.

I volunteered for disability services – to help others.

I tried my best to explain my disability to my colleagues at my workplace so that they can find the best way possible to support me. We bond with each other, and they have never had a problem with my disability, after I told them, everything.

14/02/2025

I’m Dumisani Mbangata, and I want to share my journey of living with hearing loss. Growing up in Mthatha, I didn’t understand what was happening to me and as I got older, things only got much harder. I have endured bullying, discrimination, and abuse, simply because I couldn’t hear like everyone else. My hearing got progressively worse and in 2009, I lost my hearing completely. I was in grade 4 and I had to repeat the year because I was unable to learn.

Two years later I was fitted with hearing aids, but I was ashamed to wear them. Other kids mocked me, and I struggled to accept that I was deaf. I didn’t know much about hearing loss back then, and it made me feel like an outsider. When I was 14, things got even worse with constant bullying and teasing. I started rugby to build confidence and defend myself. Rugby taught me discipline and helped me connect with others. I also found comfort in reading, which helped me improve my vocabulary and cope with the challenges I faced.

At 16, my only hearing aid broke, and I couldn’t afford to fix it. I had to rely on my classmates for notes, which made my grades suffer, but I remained determined to pass. Things started to change when I moved to a new school, where I felt accepted and understood. The teachers there were supportive, and I began to embrace who I was, proudly wearing my hearing aids and encouraging others to do the same.

In 2021, after years of struggling, I received a cochlear implant, which changed my life! Today, I work as a Child and Youth Care Worker in Cape Town, helping vulnerable children and teenagers. My experience has fuelled my passion to raise awareness about hearing loss and help others who are going through what I went through.

To anyone struggling with hearing loss or facing challenges, I want to say: it’s not the end of the road. Keep going, ask for help, and believe in yourself. There’s always hope, and there’s always a way forward.

29/01/2025

A simple scan can transform a child's life.

Scan the QR code to donate and help HOPE Hear provide critical services to children with hearing and language development needs.

28/01/2025

🤔Did you know that reasonable accommodation in the workplace can make a world of difference for employees with hearing impairments?

Simple adjustments like:
👂🏽providing assistive devices,
👂🏽 ensuring clear communication, and
👂🏽creating a quieter work environment

can help individuals who’ve lost their hearing due to work or those navigating employment with hearing challenges succeed. Inclusivity isn’t just a policy—it’s a way to unlock potential and foster growth for everyone. ✨

15/01/2025

🎧 Never Run Out of Hearing Aid Batteries Again! 🎧

Tired of last-minute battery runs? We’ve got you covered with our convenient Hearing Aid Battery Subscription service!

Here’s what you get:

4 packs of 6 batteries – That’s a full year’s supply!

🧡Size 13 (orange) and
💙size 675 (blue) available.

Each battery lasts 10-14 days (depending on usage*).

Hassle-free delivery right to your doorstep via Uber or Bolt!

📍 Available exclusively for residents in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town.

Stay powered and stress-free all year round! Message us on WhatsApp for more info or to subscribe - 0724511267

*Disclaimer: Battery life may vary based on individual usage.

08/01/2025

🔊 Safety Tips for Hearing Impaired Individuals in High-Risk Communities 🔊

Living with hearing loss in a community where shootings and violence occur can feel overwhelming and unsafe😔. If you or someone you know is hearing impaired, here are a few practical tips to help protect yourself and stay aware of your surroundings:

1️⃣ Rely on Visual Cues

Stay alert to movement around you, especially in areas where shootings are common.

2️⃣ Build a Support Network

Let family, friends, or trusted neighbors know about your hearing impairment. In an emergency, they can help guide or alert you.

Create a buddy system where someone checks in on you regularly.

3️⃣ Plan Safe Spaces

Identify safe areas in your home and neighborhood where you can take shelter if gunfire occurs.

Avoid windows and stay low to the ground in an emergency.

4️⃣ Be Street Smart

Avoid unnecessary outings in areas known for violence, especially after dark.

Walk with purpose and stay visible in well-lit, populated areas.

5️⃣ Advocate for Safer Communities

Join or support local community safety groups to reduce violence in your area.

Advocate for better inclusion and support for hearing-impaired individuals in emergency planning and safety programs.

You deserve to feel safe and protected, regardless of your hearing ability. Let’s continue raising awareness about the challenges faced by hearing-impaired individuals and push for change in our communities💚🖤🤍.

08/01/2025

🔊 Let’s Talk About Hearing Loss in Our Communities 🔊

In coloured communities across Cape Town and beyond, the challenges we face are many—and one of them is the impact of hearing loss caused by excessive noise exposure. From the everyday sounds of our neighborhoods to the heartbreaking reality of gang violence, noise plays a bigger role in our lives than we realize.

Safety Risks for People with Hearing Loss:

For people who have hearing loss, the risk during shootings or gang violence is even greater. Hearing loss can affect your ability to tell where a sound—like a gunshot—is coming from, leaving you vulnerable and unable to protect yourself in dangerous situations.

🚨 Let’s Advocate for Safer Communities
We cannot separate hearing health from the need for safer, healthier environments for all. Gang violence does not only harm us physically and emotionally but also robs us of the very ability to hear and respond to life around us.

As we stand together to create safer neighborhoods, let’s also raise awareness about:

📣The dangers of noise exposure.

📣The importance of regular hearing checks.

📣The value of investing in programs that protect both our physical safety and hearing health.

A safer community is not just one free from violence, but one where we can thrive, hear, and live fully. Let’s work together for change that echoes in our streets and hearts.

A child and two women were wounded in gang crossfire in Irvine Street, Manenberg on Monday evening. It’s understood the women aged 31 and 54 were sitting outside while the five-year-old boy was walking with his father towards a tuckshop when shots were randomly fired. Local police spokesperson, Captain Ian Bennet says the shots were fired in the direction of the males. The little boy ran towards a house and collapsed. It was then discovered that he had been hit in the head by a stray bullet, leaving him with serious gunshot wounds. The women were also struck in the thigh and lower back respectively. The suspects fled on foot. No arrests have yet been made as police investigate three counts of attempted murder. Manenberg Station Commander, Brigadier Jayce Naidoo has vowed that no stone will be left unturned in bringing the perpetrators of this ruthless gang shooting to book. He adds that this disregard for human life by gangs has again shown how cowardly their actions are.

[Picture: Unsplash]

20/12/2024

12/12/2024

📣 LEARNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY THROUGH eDEAF