Cross-continental Collaboration Brings Hope to Deaf African Children
Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Asmae, President of the Lalla Asmae Foundation, and Ms. Dominique Ouattara, First Lady of Ivory Coast and President of the Children of Africa Foundation, have launched the second phase of the operation ‘Unis on s’ entend mieux’ at the Mother and Child Hospital in Abidjan. This initiative aims to restore hearing to disadvantaged African children through the provision of cochlear implants.
Gift of Hearing: A Beacon of Hope
The joint operation marks a new era of partnership between the Lalla Asmae Foundation and the Children of Africa Foundation. United by the shared goal of enhancing the lives of hearing-impaired children, the initiative symbolizes a promise of hope to those deprived of it. During the first phase in October 2022, approximately 35 children from several West African countries traveled to Morocco to receive cochlear implants. These small medical devices open a world of possibilities for deaf children, enabling them to communicate, learn, and flourish in ways previously unattainable.
Commitments Beyond the Implants
The Lalla Asmae Foundation has committed to providing 100 cochlear implants to the Children of Africa Foundation as part of this campaign. However, the Foundation’s commitment extends beyond the provision of implants. Recognizing the importance of knowledge transfer and capacity building, the Foundation is also dedicated to sharing essential expertise and surgical techniques between Moroccan and Ivorian professionals.
A State-of-the-Art Operating Room
In a bid to ensure the precision and quality of surgical interventions, a state-of-the-art operating room will be equipped by the Foundation at the Mother and Child Hospital in Abidjan. This move accentuates the commitment of the parties involved in this initiative to not just provide implants, but also ensure they are implanted in the best possible conditions with the highest standards of surgical intervention.
Transforming Lives Through Cochlear Implants
For many of these children, this operation will be life-changing. Cochlear implants can help restore a sense of sound to those with severe to profound hearing loss. Through collaborations such as these, the hope of hearing is becoming accessible to more children across Africa, setting them on a path to a better future.