Imagine you live in a remote village in Africa. You’re struggling with hearing loss, and becoming increasingly isolated from family and friends. You don’t have access to hearing healthcare professionals or hearing aids so your world is slowly slipping into silence.

It’s a grim fate shared by millions across the continent. But there is hope thanks to the Starkey Hearing Foundation and its tireless co-founders Bill and Tani Austin. The foundation trains hearing healthcare providers and provides free hearing aids in the developing world.

They recently celebrated the graduation of 11 hearing healthcare professionals from the Starkey Hearing Institute in Lusaka, Zambia. The graduates represent five countries from across Africa who will now return to their communities to put their new skills to work.

The Foundation’s goal is to train 300 hearing healthcare professionals at the institute by 2030.

“The Starkey Hearing Institute graduates have the potential to change the lives of millions of people by empowering them to reach their full potential through the gift of hearing,” says Tani Austin.

She adds, “The need for hearing healthcare in developing countries is immense.” In fact, earlier this year the World Health Organization estimated that some 466 million people suffer from disabling hearing loss and 34 million of them are children.

It all adds up to a daunting challenge and you can help. To learn more and make a donation visit: starkeyhearingfoundation.org