More than 1,700 students in Cambodia have since 2001 been fitted with hearing aids by the NGO Les Enfants Sourds du Cambodge (ESC), which was founded by Jean-Paul Beraha, who recently led a team of volunteer doctors from France to help deaf children.

Men Sovann, principal of the Chbar Ampov Special Education High School, said 121 students were now happily studying after having received hearing aids.

“It is very important because the children are able to hear a lot more sounds. With the devices meaning the children do not have such serious hearing problems, they are able to hear sounds such cars and motorcycles honking their horns, which is an important development,” he said.

Em Chan Makara – secretary of state at the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation who also serves as secretary-general of the Disability Action Council – thanked the Frenchman for his efforts in assisting the deaf.

“We thank Jean-Paul Beraha for taking these devices to help deaf and mute people in Cambodia.

“It is a truly kind gesture to assist disabled people in Cambodia in this way. We encourage other generous people like as him to conduct such work,” Chan Makara said.

Beraha told The Post that he started Les Enfants Sourds du Cambodge – which translates as “Deaf Children of Cambodia” – after meeting Benoit Duchateau-Arminjon, the founder and president of the NGO Krousar Thmey, in France.

Krousar Thmey started the first specialised school for the blind in Cambodia in 1994, before creating the first for deaf children in 1997.

“In July 2001, a first team of French audiologists went to Phnom Penh and the provinces of Siem Reap and Battambang, where we delivered hearing care to deaf students.

“Then in March 2002, we came back for a second mission. Such missions have been carried out twice per year up until now,” Beraha said.

Sovann said a full examination of the students’ hearing was carried out before the devices were fitted.

First, the school worked with ear doctors to remove wax or with other possible problems with the ear canal.

An ESC volunteer fits a child with a hearing aid on June 7. ESC

The level of a student’s hearing loss was then measured, before Beraha’s team checked to see whether it was too severe for a student to receive a hearing aid.

Beraha said that hearing aids can be fitted for children with even profound hearing loss of over 100 decibels.

“Hearing aids enable students with profound deafness to hear environment sounds, which is important for their security and wellbeing.

“Students with severe or moderate hearing loss can hear speech sounds, which enables them to learn how to speak with the help of speech therapists. These professionals teach the hearing impaired how to identify and pronounce speech sounds,” he said.

Beraha said a hearing aid can be effective for more than four years if it is well taken care of, and he had provided thousands of brand-new, high-end digital devices.

“During each mission, we fit around 500 hearing aids at the five Special Education High Schools of Cambodia under the authority of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports – Phnom Penh Thmey, Phnom Penh Chbar Ampov, Kampong Cham, Siem Reap and Battambang.

“More than 1,700 students have been fitted with hearing aids and we follow them long term, from kindergarten through to Grade 12 and university. We also follow them when they get a job,” he said.

He had received hundreds of private donations, as well as from companies such as Amplifon, a world leader in audiology, he added.

“We will provide hearing care to Cambodian children as long as the Ministry of Education needs our help. We are engaged in training teachers, speech therapists and technicians through NISE, the National Institute for Special Education,” Beraha said.

Chan Makara said that through collaborations with organisations such as Krousar Thmey, the government was fulfilling its role in helping people with disabilities.

“The government has incorporated the Krousar Thmey schools into the public system as part of NISE. The teachers were also provided a special framework for them to become staff of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.

“The education ministry has also provided additional equipment in Braille for the blind, and hearing aids and other devices for the deaf,” he said.