The Lalla Asmaa Foundation and Kenya’s Voice of Children Foundation have signed a memorandum of understanding in Nairobi to expand cooperation in hearing care for children. The agreement provides for cochlear implants and medical follow-up for 100 children with profound hearing loss.
Under the memorandum, 70 children are set to receive cochlear implant surgeries in Nairobi as part of the ongoing “United, We Hear Better” program, while 30 children will be received in Rabat in 2026 for surgical procedures and continued training of medical teams.
According to the Lalla Asmaa Foundation, it will supply and install the cochlear implants, train medical and speech therapy teams, and oversee post-operative telemonitoring. The Voice of Children Foundation will identify beneficiaries, support families, establish a follow-up center in Nairobi, and coordinate logistics with Kenyan authorities.
The agreement builds on the “Nasmaa” program established in Morocco, which provides early detection, cochlear implantation, speech therapy, education integration, and long-term support.
To date, approximately 850 children in Morocco have received cochlear implants through this system. The foundation’s network currently includes a diagnostic center in Rabat and three inclusive schools in Rabat, Tangier, and Meknès, with new schools planned for Fès, Fkih Ben Salah, and Marrakech.
An estimated 400 children are monitored annually, and several former beneficiaries are now enrolled in higher education, including 11 students who have completed master’s degrees and 2 who have completed doctorates.
The cooperation also includes medical exchange and surgical collaboration between Moroccan and Kenyan teams. It follows previous joint work under the “United, We Hear Better” program, which now involves 21 countries across Africa, the MENA region, and Latin America.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, representatives from both sides noted that the agreement formalizes ongoing collaboration in hearing care and educational inclusion and provides a framework for continued joint training and treatment programs.
MWN with MAP
