The founder of KSS, audiologist Daniel Hendrix, has been making annual trips to Northern India since 2011. Primarily working within the Emmanuel Hospital Association network of charitable hospitals, but also with other affiliated hospital networks and programs such as ASHA. In 2019 he volunteered with this group and dispensed hearing aids in Delhi’s slum districts. He is a graduate of the Canadian University of British Columbia’s Department of Medicine Audiology Program and had operated a private practice audiology clinic on Boston’s North shore for almost 20 years. His initial interest in Northern India began with a survey of the Linguistic diversity of the area for the completion of his undergraduate Linguistics degree. This area has one of the highest densities of distinct language groups in the world, largely due to the remoteness and character of the residing tribal groups. India has an amazing mix of religions, cultures, traditions, politics, geography and migrational patterns. Only up until recently, special permits were still required by The Indian government for foreigners to visit most of the ‘Seven Sister’ states. Daniel, now retired from his private clinic, works full time in the Northern India, and is committed to improving the hearing impaired individual’s access to services.
“I have been wearing hearing aids for most of my adult life and never knew what to do with my older sets. My last donated pair were fit on a severely hearing-impaired slum lord in one of Delhi’s largest slums. He is now instrumental in assisting ASHA to empower women in the slum, and to get their children a proper education instead of entering the workforce.”
Tina G, HIS
