Godisa: Solar Powered Hearing Aid in Botswana

On the photo : François Ste Marie (Deaf trainer), Tendekayi Katsiga (Botswana Volunteer), André Baune (Microniks) au premier plan Sarah Phiri et Akanyang Kelaotswe (Botswana volunteers)

“I want to help other deaf people to have access to education training and employment. I would like to use my skills and opportunities to help other deaf people achieve their goals”  -  Sarah Phiri, Godisa Technology technician and Uniterra's South-North Volunteer in 2005.


An innovative technology developed in Africa might be one answer to the high cost of hearing aids for Canadians with hearing disabilities.
 
A solar-powered hearing aid battery developed by Godisa Technology, a small enterprise from Botswana, has been recognized in more than 20 countries as an innovative solution to the high cost of disposable batteries. Godisa Technology is currently looking for Canadian partners to continue developing and exporting its products.
 
250 million hearing people with disabilities worldwide cannot afford a hearing aid. A third of this population is in developing countries. In Canada, some people living on a fixed income don’t have access to hearing aids because of the high cost of replacing batteries. For others, especially seniors, a rechargeable battery may be welcomed as it means fewer trips out in wintertime to purchase new batteries.
 
The solar battery can be charged using the sun, household light or an AC/DC adapter, which makes it suitable for northern climates. It is also an environment-friendly product – with the potential to replace the millions of disposable hearing aid batteries that are thrown out each year.
 
Godisa Technology is training people with hearing disabilities while promoting international distribution of this product. Three Godisa Technology volunteers recently received specialized training in micro-souldering with Microniks, a Canadian-based company that provides professional training skills in sign language. These young technicians, among them two women with hearing disabilities, are specialists in manufacturing solar-powered hearing-aid batteries.

Tendekayi Katsaga is the Hearing Aid and Solar Recharger Technician at Godisa Technologies Trust Botswana. Tandekayi overseas the daily operations relating to the manufacture of the hearing aids and solar rechargers. Tandekayi 's work with Godisa, alongside the mainly daeaf workforce, has deepened his understanding of issues relating to deaf empowerment. He hopes to use his technical knowledge of communications devices and his exposure to deaf issues to further the aims of deaf people around the world.

See articles on Godisa in the Toronto Star : HEARING AIDs | Team that perfected sun-powered device will export its expertise for free. par David Wightman, volunteer in Botswana in 2005.
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