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Established in 1993 as a non-profit private organization, Fundación CINDA has become Colombia's leading institution for the detection and treatment of hearing disabilities in children.

Hearing deficiencies are most prevalent in conditions of poverty; malnutrition and lack of sanitary conditions are some of the leading causes. In Colombia, 4 out of 1000 children are born with severe to deep hearing loss; 90 percent of them come from lower socio-economic segments of the population and only 2.5% have access to some kind of treatment. Yet, if detected early, hearing impairment can be managed to allow the development of a fulfilling and productive life. But if the impediment is not detected within the first two years of a child's life, he/she may loose his or her ability to develop spoken language.

CINDA promotes and implements prevention, detection, and intervention programs in Bogotá and throughout Colombia, and accepts children from across Latin America. The organization dispatches mobile units to lesser advantaged sectors of the country and puts together programs in local hospitals for early detection; it runs counseling and training sessions for parents and family members of the hearing-impaired child; carries out various programs to achieve speaking ability and to facilitate the involvement of the children in regular schools by providing support and training for both children and the institutions.

CINDA is also a leading professional training institution for speech therapists, audiologists, teachers, and psychologists. It organizes seminars and post graduate programs in conjunction with local universities, and offers internship programs.

Through an annual grant from Genesis, CINDA has been able to carry out an early-detection program in newborns, 0 to 6 months old, throughout the city, and enroll those suffering from hearing deficiencies and their families in hearing stimulation and counseling sessions. The institution also helps children secure hearing aids available through governmental assistance programs, and trains children so they can enter the regular public school system.

For more information about this institution, or to make a direct contribution, please contact genesis@genesis-foundation.org.

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