Click on a title below to learn more about our missions.

• Literacy, Language and Parent Workshops Continue
• Helping a Young Girl in Honduras
• Helping CASSA
• Welcome Seimens to Corporate Sponsorship for 2008!
• Previous Articles
  

Literacy, Language and Parent Workshops Continue

In February, a team of six volunteers arrived on the ground in Santo Domingo, prepared for a week-long training program to help parents and teachers vested in helping the deaf foster literacy and auditory learning experiences.  Nothing prepares most for the poverty of families, the lack of educational materials and supplies, and poor hearing technology.  While the stigma of deaf-mute still prevails in the country, many institutions and professionals in Santo Domingo work vigilantly and proudly to educate their compatriots about oral education. Onelia Aybar, Director of Instituto de Ayuda al Sordo a Santa Rosa, always welcomes us warmly, opening her school of 280 students to us.  As we approach the building, we notice how well dressed the children are in their uniforms.  They line up to pledge their allegiance to their country, sing their anthem, and then filter off to their respective classes.  Teachers smile and staff go about their business.  The young children smile at our cameras, while older children glance with a bit of skepticism.  Under this initial impression, we know there is a strain on resources.  Children wear only one hearing aid, acoustics are horrible in the classrooms, buildings are need of repair and materials are slim.  One reason the team looked forward to this mission experience was knowing that their presence was an impossible dream made real...that their support gives hope, technology, and support that constructively helps teachers, families and children affected with hearing impairment. Iraida Williams welcomed groups of parents to share and exchange social, emotional and education concerns, while fostering and inspiring parent knowledge and support to help children learn to listen and speak with hearing aids and cochlear implants. Michael Moon and Jane Driscoll, both teachers of the deaf from New England, presented a workshop on several topics including distance, noise, reverberation, and a review of the listening hierarchy.  Scientist Kelly Kelleher met with many students to discuss her personal experience growing up deaf, while also working with Michael on FM system trouble-shooting and fitting of systems on young students in several classrooms.  The week focused on literacy development, offered individual therapy demonstrations, and included two afternoon workshops presented by Dr. Laura Petersen, AVT from Rhode Island.  A two hour panel discussion of the Greater Voice team was well received by an audience of over 150 at the end of the week..  Continued Greater Voice training is scheduled in June of 2008.

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Helping a Young Girl in Honduras

Tegucigalpa is the capitol of Honduras and is the largest city in the country.  The city’s name is derived from the Nahuatl word teguz-galpa, which means “silver hills”.  Founded by Spanish settlers, the region abounds with business, yet somewhere amidst the glimmering hills, families strive to understand deafness and how to help their child. A remarkable thing happened in October.  Partners for A Greater Voice received a call from Carol Serna, a bright young women who was born in Saudi Arabia, schooled in Texas and educated at Cornell University. Carol presently lives in Honduras and works for an NGO called Agua Para el Pueblo. She works on a team that does research and design of sustainable potable water treatment plants. Her living situation lead her to a little girl named Angie, a beautiful seven year old living in Ojojona who appeared to have a hearing impairment. Joanne Travers, President of Greater Voice, began counseling Carol on deafness and every step needed to help Angie and her family, giving hope for a better chance at life.  Greater Voice has since donated a hearing aid, batteries, and educational materials through their Give the Gift of Hearing program. Joanne has established a relationship with Carol, who is on the ground helping Angie and her family, and has counseled and taught Carol about audiological evaluations, custom CFA ear molds, how to work with Angie’s family, aid Angie and develop her listening skills.  Though the Honduran government has proclaimed sign language as the mode of communication for the deaf living Honduras, Partners for A Greater Voice is working against the grain to foster an understanding of auditory development for Angie, who is talking to herself and exploring her voice.  She gets help from Carol and her family to put meaning to the sounds around her.  Carol has been a strong advisor, and Greater Voice wants to help Angie by sponsoring her in a good school, where she will receive speech and language services. It costs US$100 per month. With your financial support and sponsorship, Greater Voice can continue to help Angie and give her the education and family support she needs.  Please make a donation to support Angie. Tax deductible contributions can be made by visiting our website www.greatervoice.com or by mailing a check to our post office box in Ipswich.  Please indicate your donation is for Angie, and care to make her world a bigger place!

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Helping CASSA

If thirteen year olds Tori Travers and Olivia Williams can do it, so can you! Tori and Olivia helped on a mission to CASSA last June. The girls supported teachers in the classroom, played games with students, and helped children draw and learn their colors.  Training Facilitator and Teacher of the Deaf Diane Sanchez, educated teachers and parents during the week-long training visit. Her workshops included Natural Communication, How to Play with your child, and Lesson Plan Development.  Her tremendous work proved invaluable to the parents and teachers of  CASSA.  Diana demonstrated strategies for developing listening and speaking, while also teaching parents and teachers through hands on learning experiences. Continued training and education initiatives are being planned for 2008. To learn how you can help, contact us by email or phone.

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Welcome Seimens to Corporate Sponsorship 2008!

A donation of $3,000 was made to support El Oído, a free publication in Spanish that is distributed to over 2,500 people in the Dominican Republic. This educational tool is rich in parent and professional information, and advances knowledge in the field. Sponsorship and contributions are needed to continue its publication. Greater Voice accepts short articles for publication, and encourages submission of original written work for review. English text may be sent via email...please keep to under 250 words.

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