From Communities to Classrooms: World Hearing Day 2026
- Jose Pablo Asencio
- 3 days ago
- 1 min read
On March 3rd, as part of World Hearing Day, we carried out different activities in communities in Guatemala, while also staying connected to efforts happening in the United States.
In Guatemala, we worked closely with schools, talking with children and parents about how important it is to take care of our hearing, how to prevent hearing loss, and why early detection matters. We also shared simple but meaningful actions, like using earplugs to protect against loud noises, and we were able to check ears to identify things like impacted wax that can affect hearing.
At the same time, in the United States, organizations like Sounding Joy continue doing incredible work by providing hearing aids to children whose families cannot afford them. Their story reminds us why this work matters so much.
Sounding Joy is a nonprofit organization based in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, founded by Rotarian Christy Vogel. Its mission is to provide the gift of hearing to school-aged children whose families cannot afford hearing aids, which can cost up to $6,000 in the United States.
We were also able to fit hearing aids for people in need and carry out newborn hearing screenings using OAE equipment, helping us identify hearing loss early and take action on time.
All of this is a reminder that, even from different places, we are part of the same effort making sure more people have the opportunity to hear, connect, and live better.
