The transition from silence to a world full of sound is a beautiful one. It is a world rich with laughter and music, it is a world filled with solidarity and love, and curiosity. These are the feelings of the child who when born with hearing loss, hears the first sound through his or her cochlear implant on the day when the external device i.e a processor gets connected with the internal implant by an audiologist. This day is called the switch on the day.

I am Ritu Nakra, a parent of a child born with profound hearing loss in both the ears and a certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist who works for “Hear Me Speak” which is an early intervention center for young children with hearing loss, based in Delhi. As part of our social initiative, this year we wish to make this wonderful experience more memorable for these young children who belong to the economically weaker sections of the society by giving them the gift of “Joy of Listening”. We extend our hands for your help to let these children flourish in this beautiful world abundant with the sounds of life. You can help them be part of society by donating to our campaign to distribute boxes that spread the joy of listening. These boxes will include a musical toy, toys that facilitate ‘learning to listen to sounds’, storybooks, and reference materials for the parents. Our little champ Azu who was born with hearing loss got her cochlear implant at the age of 1 year and now at the age of four she has clear speech and age-appropriate language has come forward to request you all to support us and donate and become a part of our children’s journey into this wonderful world full of sounds!