Providing deaf people with solar-powered hearing units, enabling them to save money on batteries and giving them access to work and education.

Tendekayi Katsiga

Tendekayi Katsiga is an electronic engineer who realized that 70% of the hearing aids distributed in Africa are only used for a month, due the high cost and unavailability of batteries. Based in Botswana, Tendekayi decided to harness the power of sunlight to help deaf children of the developing world, where electricity is scarce and batteries are expensive. Determined to make a lasting change in the world, he founded Deaftronics – a company that creates solar-powered hearing aids manufactured by people with hearing impairments.

 

Tendekayi took part in SE Forum’s SE Outreach Accelerator in 2017.

Deaftronics

deaftronics_logo

Deaftronics produces a solar-powered hearing aid unit called Solar Ear. The Solar Ear includes a digital rechargeable hearing aid, a solar battery charger and four rechargeable batteries with a life-span of 2-3 years. Tendekayi and his team firmly believe that education is key to breaking the cycle of poverty, and using Solar Ear helps deaf children access education. Deaftronics also aims to empower the hearing impaired by creating employment opportunities and helping them better integrate into the deaf community. Tendekayi and his team achieve this by providing training to and employing young, hearing impaired individuals to design their products. The SE Outreach Accelerator will provide Tendekayi with the support and tools needed to make Deaftronics a viable and sustainable business, both in and outside Botswana.