However, in the small, unknown village of Otse there is a non profit-making organisation called Godisa that makes hearing aids that are destined for the export market, with less than 10 percent being targeted for the local market.

The cost-effective hearing aids, which are assembled by this NGO reach some of the world's lucrative European and American markets.

Those behind the project say that Godisa is the only manufacturer of hearing aids on the African continent.

An employee of the organisation, Tendekani Katsiga, who is not deaf himself, says that the project started in 2002 and the idea behind its inception was to empower the deaf society. Godisa, which means "doing something to help others grow", in Setswana have two basic missions. The first is low cost hearing aids for developing countries and the second is the empowerment of our workers who are deaf. It is estimated that there are about 200 million people throughout the world who need hearing aids, but because of their economic status they cannot afford them. Godisa hearing aids are said to be 80 percent cheaper than their closest competitor.

"The idea was to empower the deaf people, who were neglected. We employed and empowered them," explains Katsiga. Parts for the hearing aids come from European hearing aid companies, who sell their aids in a kit format.

At the trust's small factory in Otse, Godisa makes about 100 hearing and solar chargers everyday with each of the assemblers making about 20 hearing aids and chargers everyday. Currently, there are eight people working at Godisa with most of them being deaf people.

To produce the three types of hearing aids there are several stages that the assemblers go through.

The last stage of production is packaging before they are shipped to their destinations.

Godisa general manager Modesta Nyirenda-Zabula says, the three types of hearing aids (X 100, X 300 and X 350) are sold at a price range of between P300 to P900. Godisa also produces two different solar powered chargers for charging these hearing aids. "We also make solar chargers as people do not have money to buy batteries," Katsiga explains, adding that they are the first to make hearing aids with solar chargers in the whole world. "This is a Botswana solution to an African problem".

During the day, the sun charges 2 Ni-Mh AA rechargeable batteries, which are located in the charger. These AA keep their charge for a week. Then at night, once or twice a week you can recharge the hearing aid or batteries. However, Godisa has not patented their chargers. Apart from the solar chargers, Godisa have also developed a cheap rechargeable battery for about a US$1.00 (or P5.55), which lasts for two to three years. The battery comes in three colour packages and four languages of Spanish, English, French and German and is also bar coded. Although, the hearing aids from Godisa are sold in 30 developing countries, the batteries are however sold in three European countries and North America. At the same time, Godisa makes portable and fully diagnostic audiometers that do speech, bone and conduction as well as hearing tests.

On the empowerment side, Godisa has a variety of educational programmes for the deaf at Godisa and other deaf people in Otse. At the same time, the trust gets grants from George Soros Open Society to train 300 deaf trainers on HIV/AIDS education. These deaf trainers will then go back to their countries and teach the deaf in their language and culture about HIV. The trust has also taught sign language to bank tellers in Botswana as well as given many free sign language courses throughout Botswana. We have put on an international seminar on sign language interpreters.

At the same time, Katsiga adds that where there is no electricity in parts of the world they have also installed AC/DC devices to use in electricity sockets. He says this is particularly for the European and American markets "and there has been a wide response".

The Godisa products according to the trust's management have interested governments throughout the world and Brazil health officials have signed a supply deal with Godisa.

Recently, a high level Brazilian health delegation team visited Godisa to seal the deal. By early next year, hearing aids from the trust will find their way to Brazil with a team of assemblers expected to go to Brazil and teach Brazilians how to assemble the hearing aids. The focus of Godisa products according Nyirenda-Zabula is on the developing nations.

As part of a strategy to spread its wings, Godisa will early next year open three other Godisa type operations in three other countries, being Brazil, Jordan and the Philippines.

According to Godisa officials, the initial order for these three places is over 50,000 units. In Jordan, it will be part of a peace-building mission as their workers will be deaf workers from Jordan, Palestine and Israel. "We will send deaf workers from Godisa to train their workers.

"Also, in conjunction with a traditional hearing aid manufacturer, we will be manufacturing a new digital aid for our customers in developing countries and beyond," Dannis Fafard, a development worker at Godisa said. Because the Godisa products have elicited a lot of interest, the trust has secured land.

Through the support of the government and the corporate sector and especially the First National Bank (FNB), Godisa will soon build its own state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, which will be static proof, dust proof and climate controlled. At the same time, within the next 18 months, the trust will also increase and employ over 60 new deaf assemblers.

By Kabo Mokgoabone