Empowering Young Minds on Hearing Health: What Your Ears Want You To Know Event.

On March 3rd, 2025, Zoota Initiative for Development, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Hearing Forum, the World Hearing Day Org, and the Coalition for Global Hearing Health (CGHH), hosted a World Hearing Day awareness session at Ringili Primary School in Arua District, Uganda. The event focused on raising awareness about ear care and hearing health among young people and advocating for better ear care services in rural communities.

Miss Adania leading the session on ear care and hearing health with the students

The theme for this year’s World Hearing Day, “Changing Mindsets: Empower Yourself to Make Ear and Hearing Care a Reality for All”, was at the heart of our session. With 479 students and teachers in attendance, the session provided critical information on how to protect hearing, common causes of hearing loss, and preventive measures.

Students attending the awareness session

Why Hearing Health Matters

Hearing health is often overlooked, yet it plays a vital role in a child’s education and overall well-being. According to the World Health Organization (WHO);

• 1.5 billion people worldwide experience some degree of hearing loss.
• 1 billion young people are at risk of permanent hearing loss due to unsafe listening habits.
• In Uganda, an estimated 11.6% of children suffer from hearing impairment, often caused by infections, noise exposure, and lack of proper ear care.

In Arua, there is only one ENT specialist at Arua Regional Referral Hospital, making access to specialised ear care a challenge. This highlights the urgent need for community awareness and policy action to improve hearing health services.

Teachers participating in the awareness session at the school

What We Covered

The session was designed to be interactive, engaging, and informative. Some of the key topics covered included;

1. Basics of Ear Anatomy and Hearing Health

Students learned how the ear works and why hearing is essential for communication and learning. Visual diagrams helped explain the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear functions.

2. Common Causes of Hearing Loss

We discussed the dangers of loud music, infections, inserting objects in the ear, and lack of medical checkups. Students were surprised to learn that using earphones at high volume for long periods can cause permanent hearing damage.

3. Preventive Measures for Healthy Ears

Students were encouraged to practice safe listening habits, seek medical attention for ear infections, and avoid putting objects in their ears. A simple rule shared was the 60/60 rule – keep the volume at 60% and listen for no more than 60 minutes at a time.

4. Interactive Q&A and Fun Activities

To make learning fun, we incorporated games, role-playing, and a silent communication challenge to demonstrate the difficulties faced by those with hearing impairments.

Students demonstrating to their colleugues how to clean their ears as taught by Ms. Sophie

Immediate Outcomes and Impact

The event had a profound impact on both students and teachers. Some immediate outcomes included:

• Raised awareness among 479 students and teachers on ear and hearing health.
• Early identification of students with potential hearing issues for further checkups.
• Commitment from teachers to integrate hearing health education into school discussions.
• Students pledged to take better care of their ears and educate their families.

Students during the recarp sharing what they learnt during the awareness session

Challenges Encountered

Despite the success of the event, a few challenges were noted;

• Limited access to ENT specialists in the region.
• Lack of screening equipment to provide on-the-spot hearing tests.
• Language barriers, requiring translation for younger students.

The team at Zoota Initiative for Development at the World Hearing Day awareness session event

Recommendations & Follow-Up Actions

To ensure long-term impact, we recommend:

1. Continued advocacy for better hearing health policies in Uganda.
2. Organizing free ear checkups in collaboration with health facilities.
3. Training teachers and community leaders to spread hearing health awareness.
4. Providing assistive devices for students with hearing impairments.

Group photo with the teachers at Ringili Primary School

Voices from the Community

Here’s what some students and teachers had to say about the session:

• “This is the first time we are learning about ear health. I didn’t know loud music could damage our ears forever.” – Primary 6 Student
• “Now I understand why my ear hurts sometimes. I will tell my parents so we can go for a checkup.” – Primary 7 Student
• “We need more of such sessions. Hearing health is important, but we never talk about it.” – Health Teacher, Ringili Primary School

Group photo with the students and teachers at Ringili Primary School after the Session

Acknowledgments

A big thank you to the Zoota Initiative for Development team, our partners WHO and CGHH, and the teachers and students who made this event a success. Special appreciation goes to our trainers who delivered insightful sessions and engaged the students in meaningful discussions.

As we move forward, let’s continue to raise awareness, promote safe listening practices, and advocate for better hearing healthcare in rural Uganda. Every child deserves the gift of hearing – let’s protect it together!

#WorldHearingDay #EarCareForAll #HearingHealth #SafeListening #ZootaInitiative