ABOUT THE HEAR THE WORLD FOUNDATION By supporting the charitable Hear the World Foundation, Sonova is campaigning for equal opportunities and a better quality of life for people with hearing loss. As a leading manufacturer of hearing care solutions, the company feels socially responsible for contributing towards a world where everyone has the chance to enjoy good hearing. For instance, the Hear the World Foundation supports disadvantaged people with hearing loss around the world and gets involved in prevention and providing information. It focuses particularly on projects for children with hearing loss, to enable them to develop at the appropriate rate for their age. More than 80 famous ambassadors, including celebrities such as Bryan Adams, Annie Lennox, Sting and Joss Stone, champion the Hear the World Foundation. www.hear-the-world.com HEAR /CanYouHearTheWorld THE WORLD FOUNDATION ACTIVITY REPORT 2014/15 037-0169-02/V1.00/2015-05/Serranetga/FO Printed in Switzerland © Hear the World Foundation. All rights reserved. 037-0169-02/V1.00/2015-05/Serranetga/FO Foundation. Printed © Hear the World in Switzerland 02 03 WORKING TOGETHER FOR BETTER HEARING Listening to the nature, hearing Did you know that around 50 percent of all cases of hearing music and voices, chatting and loss could have been avoided? And that some 1.1 billion having a good laugh together – young people worldwide put their hearing at risk due to our sense of hearing is essential their listening habits? That is why the Hear the World TABLE OF CONTENTS for communication and a vital Foundation is also actively involved in preventing hearing part of our social life. That is why loss. In Canada, for instance, we support Sound Sense, a 4 OUR GOALS, OUR COMMITMENT, OUR BASIC PRINCIPLES the Hear the World Foundation project designed to teach schoolchildren about the dangers pursues a vision of creating of listening to music at excessively high volumes. Last year, 6 SUSTAINABLE SUPPORT: A KEY PRIORITY a world in which every single the Hear the World Foundation presented Sound Sense with individual has the chance to the John Bamford Award. To find out what this project has 8 OUR FOCUS experience good hearing. done to deserve such an honor, turn to page 18. 10 HIGHLIGHTS 2014/15 This is a very ambitious goal, and over the past year, as We were delighted that partner stores in seven countries ever, we have been working very hard toward achieving it. carried out fundraising campaigns last year to help the Hear 12 OUR PROJECTS 2014/15 The quality of the care provided is always a top priority. It the World Foundation. The “4 Ears” campaign collected is our claim to ensure that children in low-income countries more than CHF 20,000, all of which will go toward funding 14 INSIGHTS INTO THE PROJECTS WORLDWIDE receive the same standard of audiological care as those from the foundation’s activities and enabling us to further expand higher-earning backgrounds, which is why we make sure our support. 22 SONOVA EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT our project partners have state-of-the-art hearing aids and the right equipment for fitting and validating them at their We are proud of and pleased with what we have achieved 24 OUR AMBASSADORS disposal. In all of our projects, we also make an effort to so far, but we also know that there is still a long way to go develop the necessary expertise on site. This ensures that to turn our vision into reality. We would be glad to count on 25 OUR PARTNERS audiological care can be provided on a long-term basis, you to help us do this. as well as creating local jobs – a key element of the 26 ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENT foundation’s sustainable work. Expert knowledge is passed on primarily through voluntary engagements by Sonova 30 OUR ORGANIZATION employees. A prime example of this is our HEAR HAITI project (p. 14), in which 23 volunteers took part last year. Best wishes, Lukas Braunschweiler President of the Hear the World Foundation Our activity report is also available online. Videos, image galleries and further information provide interesting insights into our projects: www.hear-the-world.com/report 04 05 OUR GOALS, OUR COMMITMENT, OUR BASIC PRINCIPLES ABOUT HEAR THE WORLD HEARING LOSS – A NEGLECTED ISSUE FOUNDATION GOVERNANCE The Hear the World Foundation was established in Hearing loss is still a neglected issue, even though the The Hear the World Foundation is an independent charitable applying for support and selection criteria for projects are 2006 as an initiative of the Sonova Group, the leading figures speak volumes: more than 15% of the adult foundation. Comprehensive foundation governance is clearly defined. As a member of Swiss Foundations, we manufacturer of hearing care solutions. The foundation population is affected by hearing loss1, and around half essential for us. This involves ensuring transparency with operate in line with the basic principles of the Swiss advocates for equal opportunities and improved quality of these cases could have been avoided by taking preventive regard to our strategy, goals and support activities as well Foundation Code. We see it as our duty to use the funds of life for people with hearing loss around the world. measures2. Some 665,000 children with significant as professionalism in terms of organization and management. entrusted to us in accordance with the aims of the hearing loss are born every year3. One of the biggest To avoid conflicts of interest, an organized procedure for foundation and in the most effective way possible. The vision of the Hear the World Foundation is a challenges is that 80% of people with hearing loss live in world in which: low- to middle-income countries and often do not have any access to audiological or medical care4. In low-income • EACH PERSON HAS THE CHANCE countries, for example, only one in 40 people with hearing TO EXPERIENCE GOOD HEARING, loss wears a hearing aid5. This has serious consequences: children with untreated hearing loss, particularly those living in these regions, have hardly any future prospects. • WEARING A HEARING AID After all, children who cannot hear very well have difficulty IS NO LONGER A TABOO, learning to speak, which reduces their chances of receiving an education and developing at an appropriate rate for • HEARING IS CHERISHED their age. AND PROTECTED, AND FOUNDATION GOALS • PEOPLE WITH IMPAIRED HEARING ENJOY EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES. Against this backdrop, the Hear the World Foundation’s goal is to actively support and promote projects that provide Since 2006, the foundation has been involved in help for people with hearing loss to enable them to enjoy a over 60 projects on all five continents and has given better quality of life. The foundation also aims to draw thousands of people with hearing loss the chance attention to and raise awareness of the issue of hearing loss to enjoy a better life. by carrying out studies and campaigns. Support is provided via financial resources, the provision of hearing systems and the deployment of an own team. Sonova bears all of the foundation’s administration costs to ensure that 100% of all donations go directly to the projects. Pupils of our project partner Willie Ross School OUR SUPPORT IS BASED ON THREE PILLARS HELP US TO HELP! You can help people to hear again! The Hear the World Foundation Bank details for donations: Technology Funding Professional is a recognized Swiss foundation and, thanks to its precisely defined UBS AG, Zurich Provision of hearing Support support goal and transparent processes, it guarantees that 100 percent of Account: Hear the World Foundation aids, FM systems, through funds Training of your support goes directly to our projects. Sonova bears all of the Account number: 230-477384.01U cochlear implants project partners administrative costs. IBAN: CH12 0023 0230 4773 8401 U SWIFT: UBSWCHZH80A 1WHO, The global burden of disease: 2004 update (2008) / 2 WHO, Factfile Deafness (2006) / 3Unicef (2004) / 4/5 WHO, Factsheet Number 300 (2012) 06 07 SUSTAINABLE SUPPORT: A KEY PRIORITY The aim of the Hear the World Foundation is to enable 3.) ENSURING PROFESSIONAL FOLLOW-UP 4.) LONG-TERM SUPPORT AND people all over the world to enjoy better hearing. Every MONITORING SUCCESS year we receive a large number of applications for To help guarantee a lasting positive impact, we only support. An essential criterion when it comes to provide hearing aids if we can ensure that the recipients We work in long-term partnerships with our project partners audiological care. Each of our project partners is obliged selecting and implementing projects is sustainability, will also receive regular support from locally based across the globe. Our experts help them develop the next to provide a detailed report twice a year containing precise which is why the Hear the World Foundation primarily specialists after their hearing aids have been fitted. logical steps of their projects – such as training sessions details about the progress of their project and their use of supports projects that can make a lasting positive Audiological care alone is often not enough, especially or buying a new piece of equipment. In doing so, we lay funds. impact. The quality of the audiological care provided in the case of children with hearing loss. Supplementary an important foundation to further professionalize the is a crucial element, and with this in mind, particular measures such as speech therapy or parental training and attention is paid to the following four aspects: involvement are required to help children realize their full potential and to support their language acquisition. 1.) APPLYING THE AUDIOLOGY GOLD STANDARD FOR EVERYONE Fitting children with amplification is a challenge and a big responsibility.