Swindon Club has a friendship link with S I Surulere (Nigeria). We are always delighted to meet with our Nigerian friends at the annual SIGBI Conference. (Covid allowing!)
We support each other over our Facebook pages but as yet don’t have a current joint project with them. Previously we managed an important Hearing Aid project with them. We met at conference in 2007 and member Gillian Reed, an audiologist, asked if they could make use of the old analogue hearing aids she was replacing with digital ones. President Chinwe and the members of Surulere jumped at the chance, as deaf children in Nigeria struggle to get an education as hearing aids are so scarce.
In Nigeria, it took time to persuade the authorities and obtain funding for an audiologist etc. but in 2008 they reported there were ready to receive aids. Swindon members spent an enjoyable evening around the kitchen table to clean the 1st batch of c. 450 hearing aids. On receipt, the Surulere Club arranged hearing tests and moulds to be made and fitted enabling the first group to get an education.