June 1st, 2021
Hearing and Beyond in Vietnam – Jerusalema “Hearing Impaired Style”
Hearing and Beyond in Vietnam is a small, privately-funded non-government, not-for-profit organization assisting Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing children in Hội An, Vietnam. Despite Hội An having a population of 100,000 people, until Hearing and Beyond in Vietnam began, there was no schooling available for children with hearing issues. Throughout Việt Nam there are approximately 200,000 children under the age of eighteen with hearing loss, and only a handful of schools available to help them. Hearing testing at birth is uncommon, and access to modern audiology technology is limited; so early intervention is rare. Assisting hearing-impaired children to become integral members of society gives them dignity, and helps them to break the poverty cycle.
The project was founded by Mái McCann in 2008, who believes that all children deserve an education. Mái is a qualified nurse who returns to Australia to undertake three month placements, allowing her to earn the money needed to run the school. In the past ten years, she, the Hearing & Beyond in Vietnam team, and its supporters have been privileged to watch the positive changes occurring in the lives of the young students.
Hearing and Beyond in Vietnam’s Mission is: to provide high quality education to hearing impaired children in Hội An; to assist them to become integral members of their community and to raise awareness and understanding of the difficulties hearing impaired children, and their families, face on a daily basis.
Hearing and Beyond - Jerusalema "Hearing Impaired Style"
This video was made in partnership with the school in order to raise awareness about the school and about schooling for children with hearing issues. Nonetheless, we also decide to make this video as a school activity in which kids, teachers and everyone involved would have fun together. Would like to thank my friend Chong Chaw Kong for introducing me to the project and for helping me with shooting.