KABUL - Helping people affected by deafness and other forms of hearing loss is among the highest and most compassionate forms of humanitarian service that a charitable organization can undertake. Providing ‘The Gift of Hearing’ to thousands of Afghans who are affected by deafness and other forms of hearing loss, is the vital mission that will be accomplished on November 7, 2017, when the Bayat Foundation, in partnership with The Starkey Hearing Foundation, launch their fourth annual Afghanistan Hearing Care Mission.
Since 2014, The Bayat Foundation and The Starkey Hearing Foundation, during their annual Afghanistan Hearing Care Mission, have provided hearing aids to thousands of Afghans—including thousands of Afghan children—who are affected by deafness and other forms of hearing loss.
In 2014, the very first Bayat Foundation-Starkey Hearing Foundation Hearing Care Mission provided hearing aids and hearing care to more than 1,000 children and adults. And this precious gift of hearing—the ability of people to hear the voices of their loved ones, and the sweet sounds of the wider world—changed their lives for the better.
During 2015, The Bayat Foundation and Starkey Hearing Foundation expanded their second Hearing Care Mission to serve Afghans living in Herat, Balkh and Kabul Provinces. During the 2015 Hearing Care mission, more than 2,000 people affected by hearing loss received hearing aids and vital hearing care services.
The third Bayat Foundation–Starkey Hearing Foundation Hearing Care Mission was launched in August 2016. More than 1,000 children and adults from Kabul and Parwan Provinces received hearing aids, hearing care and after care services.
Now, once again in November 2017, The Bayat Foundation and The Starkey Hearing Foundation have joined forces to serve hearing impaired men, women and children here in Afghanistan. Launching on November 7, 2017, the fourth annual Bayat Foundation-Starkey Hearing Foundation Hearing Care Mission, which will operate from Kabul City, is expected to distribute more than 2,000 hearing aid devices to Afghans from Kabul and throughout the nation.
The 2017 Hearing Care Mission is organized in four phases:
1-Patient Registration and Washing of Ears
2-Customizing of the Ear Molds
3-Installing the Hearing Aids
4-After Care Services
Since 2014, The Bayat Foundation, and its partner, The Starkey Hearing Foundation have restored the hearing of over 6,000 Afghans, including many thousands of Afghan children, who represent the future and the hope of the nation. The ability to hear—for many, the first time in their lives that they have heard sounds of any kind—has brought positive changes to their lives. Bestowing the Gift of Hearing to Afghans who had been affected by deafness and other forms of hearing loss, fills them with new confidence.
According to a survey conducted by The Bayat Foundation, hearing loss in Afghanistan can be attribute to three primary factors:
-War and Explosions
-Diseases and Natural Phenomena
-Intermarriage Within Families
The same survey stated that sixty-three percent of individuals who have received help from The Bayat-Starkey Hearing Care Missions, have experienced a complete recovery of their hearing ability, and are leading normal lives.

The Bayat Foundation and The Starkey Hearing Foundation are very pleased with the positive response to their joint hearing-care missions in Afghanistan. The Bayat Foundation and The Starkey Hearing Foundation will continue to work together in Afghanistan, striving to bring the gifts of Hearing Healing and Hope to the Afghan people. (PR)