Because deafness is a condition that affects about 278 million people around the globe, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), some people in Brazil have taken this matter very seriously and founded The Solar Ear Project. In Latin America, around 5 and 9% of the population suffers from this disability, which is also the reason why the NGO CEFAC Institute, a Consulting and Development firm, Legar and other stakeholders at the University of Sao Paolo have started creating these digital solar charged hearing aids.

This project began due to the research made mostly by The World Health Organization, which shows that most of the people in need of hearing aids come from poor families, with very low or no income at all. Not treating deafness leads to its aggravation and so they will need hearing aids for both ears, which almost none of these people can afford.

Every deaf person needs a certain, specially designed hearing aid, according to the stage deafness is in. By creating a solar, rechargeable hearing aid, the Solar Hearing Aid Project has made them very affordable, so that anyone can benefit from using one. No need to change the old-school batteries employed by all hearing aids available until now. Those no. 13 and no. 675 batteries only last about a week. Not only that, but people that live in remote cities or villages do not have access to them. The rechargeable batteries used by the solar ear hearing aid last from two to three years.

Also, special programs have begun in Africa, helping young adults perform all sorts of activities that they couldn't have done before. They also get jobs within the project, helping other deaf people use this new, ecological solar hearing aid. It is compliant with WHO standards and comes with its own charger for the batteries.


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