Camp Deaf Defy has arrived! We're gearing up to give Deaf refugee kids the chance to grow and thrive!

This July, we'll be launching the next phase in our mission to improve the lives of Deaf kids in refugee camps and areas of conflict. Camp Deaf Defy, a summer camp and hearing aid clinic for Deaf kids, will start this year in Sulaymaniyah and Erbil, Iraq. Children will receive audiological care and hearing aids and will also participate in a day camp to learn leadership, language and literacy skills through sports and arts programming.

After decades of sanctions and war in Iraq, our patients have all experienced severe trauma, made infinitely more difficult by language deprivation. We're here to help these kids overcome the hurdles and develop a cheerful and resilient Deaf community.

Every year, our team travels to refugee camps and areas of conflict, bringing sign language and hearing aids to Deaf children in need. And every year, we meet kids living in isolation: without enough language to communicate their most basic wants and needs. These children are often so severely language deprived that they don't even know their own names.

Deaf Defy is battling this language deprivation and isolation. We provide audiological care and hearing aids; we teach sign language and provide long-term language acquisition resources; train teachers and social workers and battle the stigma of sign language. Over the years, we've watched as child after child developed language skills and learned to communicate. We've seen the smiles when a hearing aid is turned on and the overwhelming joy when a patient first learns their name.

After years of watching these incredible changes, Camp Deaf Defy was born.

Help us make a lasting difference in the lives of Deaf children in need. Donate today!

Curious about where your funds go? Check out these cost breakdown below:

One* hearing aid:                  $300

Hearing aid batteries:          $10

Audiological testing:            $10

Sign language resources:   $25

Summer camp supplies:     $55

Summer camp lunches:      $25
 

Total cost to sponsor a child: $425

*Please note: most children require two hearing aids each, bringing the total cost up to $725/child.