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| Judi
Jewett, Bosnia Speech and Hearing Founder and Director with
the first girl who inspired the Project in 1997. |
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The first trip to Sarajevo began with a Volunteers in Mission team
through the Walnut Creek United Methodist Church, sponsored by the
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) in 1997. While at the
Sarajevo Youth House, a speech pathologist on the team, Judi Jewett,
met a profoundly hearing impaired girl who needed hearing aids.
She was eight years old, and had no expressive speech and understood
twenty words. The team members pooled their money and purchased
two hearing aids for her. After a long search, a speech pathologist
was found, and the girl began receiving speech, language and hearing
services. After five years of treatment, the girl is able to speak
in 4 – 5 word sentences, and communicate her thoughts and
ideas.
Over the past five years, the BSH Project has grown to include many
hearing impaired children from Sarajevo and other cites, as well
as hearing children. In the first five years, the BSH Project has
provided over 2000 hours of speech and language treatment and aural
rehabilitation. The BSH Project also provides audiological services
as needed, including audiological evaluations, hearing aids, and
new ear molds annually or as needed. The BSH Project has provided
other services as well, such as dysphagia evaluation for a severely
handicapped girl, and scholarships for communication handicapped
and severely handicapped children to attend school.
In 2002, the BSH Project Summer Clinic included a team of 22 American
Speech Language Pathologists, an Audiologist and Educators who traveled
to Bosnia for three weeks to provide speech, language and hearing
services. The team provided over 430 hours of therapy, served 80
children in four cities, provided over 1400 training hours, and
met the complete audiological needs for 23 children, including evaluations,
ear molds, and hearing aids. Therapy sessions included the American
SLP, a Bosnian Therapist, and an Interpretor as needed. The Bosnian
Therapists were students and graduates of the University of Tuzla.
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