The Premiere Event
We invite you to experience our powerful new documentary, Listen to Me!, which captures the voices, challenges, and triumphs of families, clinicians, and communities working together to change the future of hearing health.
Join us for the premiere screening:
Dinkelspiel Auditorium, Stanford University
Saturday, September 6, 2025
4:30--6:30 pm
This special evening will celebrate the impact of global collaboration and highlight the urgent need for early hearing healthcare in underserved regions. All proceeds will support the continued work of our Hear Kenya! Initiative.
The Problem
In Kenya—and in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa—children born with hearing loss often go undiagnosed and unsupported. Without early screening, trained professionals, or accessible hearing services, these children are frequently excluded from school, work, and full participation in society.
Hearing loss becomes more than a medical condition—it becomes a barrier to equity, education, and opportunity.
Our Response: Hear Kenya!
Hear Kenya! is an initiative dedicated to building a sustainable, Kenyan-led system of hearing healthcare—from early diagnosis to family-centered therapy and support.
In 2024, in partnership with local organizations and leaders, The Baker Institute for Children with Hearing Loss:
- Funded full cochlear implant care (surgery, devices, and one year of therapy) for 10 children
With only 180 cochlear implant surgeries previously performed in Kenya, this work represents over 5% of all such surgeries in the country’s history.
— Cochlear Implant Group of Kenya (CIGOK)
- Hosted Kenya’s first Listen to Me! Conference, training caregivers, educators, and clinicians in Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) strategies
- Received recognition and encouragement from U.S. Ambassador Meg Whitman, highlighting the global importance of equitable hearing healthcare
Looking Ahead: 2025 and Beyond!
In the next few years, Hear Kenya! will expand access to hearing healthcare and early intervention through targeted investments in local infrastructure, professional training, and direct services.
Together with our partners, The Baker Institute aims to:
- Equip hospitals currently standing empty in Nairobi and Nakuru with diagnostic and surgical equipment, supported by 15 containers of medical supplies valued at $5.25–$6.75 million
- Install newborn hearing screening equipment in Nairobi and Nakuru Counties to support early diagnosis
- Launch the Hear Kenya! Teletherapy Program to deliver remote Listening and Spoken Language therapy to underserved communities
- Establish family-centered therapy clinics led by trained Kenyan professionals
- Train over 100 caregivers, educators, and health workers through our Listen to Me! Kenya Conference and telehealth mentorship
- Provide cochlear implants and therapy to an additional 10–15 children in 2025/26
The Need
Due to the withdrawal of a major USAID grant, a critical funding gap has emerged. To keep this momentum going and scale our reach, we are raising $480,000 to fund the next phase of work.
The Baker Institute and A&K Philanthropy have already pledged $120,000 toward this goal.
Our Partners
Hear Kenya! is powered by partnership—with Project C.U.R.E., A&K Philanthropy, The University of Nairobi, the Baker Institute for Children with Hearing Loss, and an incredible network of Kenyan clinicians and health leaders working side by side.
Join Us!
This is more than a medical mission—it's a movement rooted in dignity, access, and the belief that every child deserves the chance to be heard.
Help us continue this work. Join us at the documentary premiere. Spread the word. Or support a child’s hearing journey.