For years, Precious Usman lived in silence. A farmer struggling to provide for her family, she often felt cut off from her community. But her story changed when she received a rechargeable hearing aid through the WOFAN-ICON2 Project.
“I can now hear with the help of the hearing aid. Thank you for remembering persons living with disabilities,” Precious said with joy, adding that she looks forward to returning to farming to support her loved ones.
She is one of 50 people in Abuja who benefited from the first batch of 1,100 hearing aids to be distributed across several states. The project, spearheaded by the Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN), aims to restore dignity, bridge communication gaps, and improve livelihoods for persons with hearing disabilities, especially farmers and young people.
Dr. Salamatu Garba, WOFAN-ICON2 Project Country Director, said the programme offers more than devices—it restores hope. “There’s nothing more heartwarming than seeing people who thought life was worthless respond to conversations because they can now hear,” she said.
Beyond the devices, the project provides same-day screening, fitting, and training by ENT specialists to ensure recipients can use and maintain the aids effectively. Rechargeable models were chosen to ease the burden on unemployed beneficiaries.
Professor Sani Miko, Chairman of the WOFAN Technical Board, commended the MasterCard Foundation’s support, describing the initiative as “a rare opportunity” that would change lives and promote inclusion, particularly for women and persons with disabilities.
The MasterCard Foundation aims to reach 30 million African youths—including one million with disabilities—through empowerment programmes, with 10 million targeted in Nigeria.
For Precious and many others, the sound of life has returned—along with the promise of a brighter future.
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