2025 wORLD HEARING DAY CELEBRATION
On March 3, 2025, Advocates of Peace, Nature and Gender Justice (APNAG) collaborated with Aniedi Inyang Foundation (ANIF) to mark the World Hearing Day (WHD) 2025 on the theme: “Changing Mindsets; Empower Yourself To Make Ear And Hearing Care A Reality For All” at Special Education Centre with series of activities aimed at promoting hearing care and awareness. The event brought together a team of members from both organizations who worked tirelessly to reach over 120 individuals.
Delivering a keynote address titled, “Empowering Ourselves for Ear and Hearing Care: “A Personal Story and a call to action”, the Executive Director, APNAG, Barr. Ekaette Anwana, informed the audience that the theme of this year’s celebration resonated deeply with her based on which she shared a personal story. She mentioned that her late mother was born on the 28th day of September 1918, but was call to eternal glory on 14th day of September 2020 at a ripe age of 102 years. She opined that her late mother experienced hearing loss at the age of three and half years due to an Epidemic (Influenza infection) which resulted to irreversible deafness. However, despite this physical disability she lived a fulfilled life; having four children, many grandchildren and great grand-children. She became a successful Seamstress, a talented an accomplished farmer. Though without any formal education, she learned her sewing and farming skills from her late mother.
She used the proceeds from her skills to give her children sound education; something that most unencumbered mothers could not do. Her determination and resilience in the face of adversity inspires me to this day. According to her, that was a confirmation that “there is ability in disability”, that hearing loss is not a dead sentence. She called on the audience to discard the myths/misconceptions (which she listed) concerning hearing loss, but instead they should face realities and be productive. She reminded them that hearing loss can affect anyone regardless of age and background; therefore it was everyone’s collective responsibility to prioritize ear and hearing care by being mindful of their surroundings, protecting their ears from loud noises, seeking medical attention if we experience any symptoms of hearing loss, and having regular ear screenin
