Hearing for Hope founder Atif Rahim is keen to put your unwanted hearing aids to good use. Photo / Judith Lacy
Hearing for Hope founder Atif Rahim is keen to put your unwanted hearing aids to good use. Photo / Judith Lacy
A Palmerston North organisation has given away 100 pairs of behind-the-ear hearing aids to people in need.
It was Hearing for Hope founder Atif Rahim's dream to reach this milestone. He now hopes the resulting publicity will attract more donations of unwanted hearing aids.
Rahim started distributing secondhand hearing aids in 2017 and formally set up Hearing for Hope in 2019.
He has worn hearing aids since 2002. Until then, he was at a disadvantage at school, university and during his chartered accountancy exams because of his hearing impairment.
Rahim says hearing aids are expensive and while he can afford them as he works full-time and has done well in his career, the cost is a barrier to many. The Ministry of Health's hearing aid subsidy scheme provides $511.11 per hearing aid and it is only available once every six years.
When he bought his last hearing aids, the GST component was more than the subsidy.
Rahim puts the donated hearing aids in a machine to extract moisture before passing them on. People who receive the aids need to buy a $100 mould that is custom-made for the inside of their ear and is attached to the device that sits behind the ear. Rahim is happy to go with them to their audiologist appointment and advocate on their behalf if needed.
Behind-the-ear hearing aids are easy to use and durable, he says.
Hearing for Hope does not deal with money, just hearing aids. Rahim says people often leave unwanted aids in drawers or throw them out, but they could bring relief to someone else.
Most of the hearing aids have gone to people in Palmerston North but also Auckland, Dannevirke and overseas, particularly India, Fiji and Bhutan. They are taken by Palmy residents who have contacts there.
Hearing for Hope is seeking donations of behind-the-ear hearing aids. Photo / Supplied
Some of the donated hearing aids came from Hearing Association Manawatū but now it has closed Rahim has taken over its role, where appropriate, of providing free advice.
Rahim says he can't run Hearing for Hope by himself and appreciates all the support he receives especially from the Kerala community. Churches have proved a fruitful collection source.
An accountant, he already had a lot of contacts through his community work including being treasurer for many organisations.
Rahim considers himself a social activist and a lifelong advocate for people with disabilities.
From Punjab in Pakistan, he came to Palmerston North in 2002 for love. He and his wife now have three children.
Long-time community worker and former city councillor Annette Nixon got him into community work when he arrived, allowing him to build a network and gain references to obtain paid work. He is now a business adviser at The Blue Room and an associate chartered accountant.
Rahim is grateful to the people of Palmerston North for all their help.
