Grace VanderWaal Bringing Sound to Kenya

One of the most impressive things about the WFA^® Community Based Model is the scalable amount of patients who can be served in one day and leave happy and hearing. On a hot day in March, the SHF team found themselves in Kisumu, Kenya with America’s Got Talent winner, Grace VanderWaal, the team from LSTN Sound Co. and other volunteers.

During those two days in Kenya, our team was able to serve almost 1,200 patients. On our first day in Kisumu, we started out strong in the early morning and had a record day of serving 810 patients. While the hours continued on, the sun began to set, but we still had people to help. So as our natural light began to dissipate, we put on our headlamps and lights were strung across the tent to provide the visual assistance needed to finish helping the people of Kisumu.

During the mission, Grace VanderWaal was able to experience firsthand the life-changing moment when someone hears for the first time. Since the sound of music is so important to not only Grace’s career but her personal life as well, her work with Starkey Hearing Foundation was a perfect fit. Sharing in special moments with children, teenagers and grandparents, Grace expressed the impact that being part of the mission had as a life changing effect on her life. One of our favorite moments was when Grace and the Starkey Hearing Foundation team had an impromptu dance party with the students in Eldoret. Music and hearing bring a positive energy that is irreplaceable and invaluable.

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