Administration
Administration
Hiroko
from JAPAN
-Founder & President-
I have three daughters. My two youngest daughters have cochlear implants. My experiences in Australia taught me how to grow their spoken language skills.
I am a founder of Anfini.
Click ”our story” for details.
Yuko
from CANADA
-Webmaster & Teacher-
I was born with hearing loss and raised in Japan. My hearing got worse throughout my life and I became profoundly deaf in 2018.
My mother is also hard-of-hearing and my parents didn't know I was hard-of-hearing until I was 6 years old. At that time, I could only speak in simple words, like a toddler. I have since studied the English, Chinese and Korean languages.
I used to work for Japan Customs.
Click "our story" for details.
Teachers
Nina
from PHILIPPINES
-Rehabilitationist-
I have been teaching deaf children for 12 years while focusing on language development and literacy and I love it! In 2016, I helped create Hearlife Foundation Inc. Philippines and was asked to be its Program Director. Hearlife provides subsidized speech rehabilitation and gives accreditations and trainings to deaf educators, speech pathologists and audiologists and other medical professionals. I am an Accredited Spoken Language Rehab Specialist of MED-EL. I am a Cuer and need to work double time on my certification credentials from the National Cued Speech Association of America. I am proficient in SEE (Signing Exact English) and am working on becoming fluent in the language of the deaf—ASL (American Sign Language).
Sahar
from IRAN
-General manager-
My son was diagnosed with profound hearing loss at birth. I was lost. I didn't know anything about hearing loss. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what the next step should be. But with time and research, my husband and I learned that he needed Cochlear Implants. He needed to learn about sounds and he needed to learn about speech with the aid of a speech therapist. My son, Sina, got Cochlear Implants when he was not yet 2 years old and he was enrolled into an early intervention program right after implantation surgery.
He is doing so well; we're so proud of him. He's talking and even learning a second language. We now know that children with hearing loss can achieve so much. They just need access to the right information and the right education.
I will be here to teach children with hearing loss how to speak and understand English. We'll play, we'll have fun, and we'll learn. I hope to see you guys soon.
I have combined my passion for art and my passion for children with hearing loss by writing and illustrating a children's book about hearing loss and self acceptance.
The book is called "My Cochlear Implants" which was self-published on Amazon Kindle .
My book has been translated into several languages and is available for download on my website for free.
To the right is a photo of the issue in which an article about my family was published by Hearing Health
Foundation. Hearing Health Foundation is an organization based in New York, USA.
See the link below.
Hearing Health Foundation Article
Olivia
from SINGAPORE
-Listening and Spoken Language Specialist -
Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist
I was one of the first Auditory-Verbal Therapists trained to support families of children with hearing loss in Singapore. In my career, I was mentored by world renowned teachers in the field of Auditory-Verbal Approach, including Ms Judith Simser, Dr. Christina Perigoe and Ms Cheryl Dickson.
I founded “Hear My Voice Auditory-Verbal Therapy” with the vision that all individuals with hearing loss can fulfill their potential in life.
I have an international accreditation from the AG Bell Academy as a Listening and
Spoken Language Specialist Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist (LSLS Cert. AVT). In my practice, through close partnership with families and professionals in many parts of the world, I endeavour to help those with hearing loss learn and communicate through listening and spoken language.
I taught English as a Second Language in Japan and I speak fluent English and Mandarin and a little Japanese.
I believe firmly that with early and appropriate intervention, children with any degree of hearing loss can listen, develop spoken language, attend mainstream schools and be happy contributing members of society.
I hope to empower families in ANFINI who share a similar belief.
Mariko
from JAPAN
-Mother Coach in Anfini-
My name is Mariko and I live in Kobe in Japan.
I have three daughters and my third daughter uses Cochlear Implants. I was interested in childcare that focuses on languages.
So, I came across the world’s standard native language education which is called Language Arts. I studied it at Darwin Language Arts School and became a teacher.
Language is essential to maximize the abilities of children with hearing loss. This is important not only for children with hearing loss but for all children to improve their language skills.
It’s also important that mothers have this knowledge.
Let’s have fun in raising our children and living a fulfilled life with the power of language.
Mizuho
from JAPAN
-Mother Coach in Anfini-
My name is Mizuho.
My son was born prematurely. He weighed only 575g at 23 weeks. He had a very difficult situation after his birth.
I just wished for his health and for him to be alive. As a result he was born with hearing loss. And we only found out when he was 3 years old.
We initially got hearing aids for him and when he was 5 years old he got cochlear implants. Before deciding to get surgery for cochlear implants I researched a lot about it via the internet, Instagram and books.
I deeply wanted any information about this topic. That’s when I found Anfini and I was already starting to study AVT techniques before his cochlear implant surgery.
It was very beneficial and it helped me a lot. Even his speech therapist was surprised on quickly he was able to adapt to his cochlear implants. That’s what made it clear to me how important using AVT techniques at home are for my son.
I’m so happy to share my experiences with you. It truly gives me such a wonderful feeling as I am able to impart knowledge to the parents who are in the similar situation as me.
Laely
from INDONESIA
-Mother Coach in Anfini-
I'm Indonesian. I graduated from a university in Indonesia, majoring in engineering.
After spending 13 years as a working mom, I decided to retire.
Now, I'm a housewife with 2 children. My second child has hearing loss and uses bilateral cochlear implants.
She attended Auditory Verbal Therapy for 2 years. Her dream is to become an astronaut. By joining Anfini, I want to make her dream come true.
Cochlear Implants can unlock our children's potential. They can be anything they want to be. We as their parents have to help prepare them to achieve a brighter future.
Ambassadors
Nathalie
from USA
Hello everyone.
I am so honored to be a member of Anfini alongside you all. My name is Nathalie Talango. I have a 6 year-old daughter named Aria with bilateral cochlear implants and a 4 year-old son named Enzo. I was an orthodontist in my country but I decided to drop my career. I have since dedicated myself to supporting my daughter's language development. Her hearing journey has not been easy. She is one of those tough cases that didn’t get diagnosed in time and she got implanted extremely late when she was 3 and a half years old. She was 4 years old when they finally mapped her CIs. And from that day on, she has been making amazing progress. She is currently attending a mainstream Kindergarten program and is close to closing the gap between her and her hearing peers.
Sharlene
from PHILIPPINES
I was born deaf but can absolutely hear with a cochlear implant and hearing aid. Since I had my implant when I was nearly 5 years old, I love music. To share my passion for the arts, I will be teaching music to anyone who wish to learn including cochlear implantees. I am an incoming 3rd year college student majoring in Bachelor of Science in Music Business Management Emphasis on Performance/Sound Production at Meridian International College. I hope to be able to write more inspiring songs that touch everyone’s hearts. I wish I can collaborate with amazing world-class artists. I am the first Filipino representative in the 3rd Beats of Cochlea Music Festival held in Poland (2017) for my first composition entitled “Keep on, Keep on Going”.
(https://businessmirror.com.ph/2017/07/30/polands-beats-of-cochlea-celebrates-special-musicians/)
I love playing musical instruments such as piano, guitar, violin and enjoy dancing. I have completed the Royal Academy of Music Grade 7 Piano and Royal Academy of Dance Ballet Intermediate level.
I support HearLife Foundation, Inc. in the fund-raising project last August 18, 2019, Med-El - hearpeers and this partnership with Anfini English Language School for Cochlear International.
I recently posted my rendition of Woodland Whispers composed by Fridolin Braugardt, Idyll Op 6. In honor of my first piano teacher, my grandmother Thelma who introduced me to the world of music.
Raziye
from Turkey
Karen
from Senegal
Adamantia
from Greece
-Our Story-
My name is Yuko. I am from Canada.
I am a mother of two children and I have a Cochlear Implant.
I was born with a hearing loss and raised in Japan. I faced bullying, discrimination, isolation, feeling vulnerable, and various restrictions because I could not communicate well.
I suffered and lost confidence in myself. I felt like I was a useless disabled person who was not needed by anyone. I also had painful experiences in my life due to people treating me as a pitiful disabled person, sneering at me, and rejecting me when I wanted to try something.
Unfortunately, my hearing continued to get worse throughout my life. Around three years ago, I was diagnosed with a profound hearing loss. However, I had a dream to change my life.
The first step to getting my confidence back was leaving my country. To do this, I studied English. While studying English, I realized that it is very hard to learn a second language with a hearing impairment.
However, I did not give up. I went abroad to study and gained work experience in Canada. While living in Canada, I realized the difference between Canada and Japan. Living in Japan made me feel comfortable, but I felt like a disabled person. On the other hand, in Canada, I felt more independent as a person, but I needed to work hard everyday.
There was no way for me to be both comfortable and feel independent. I had to choose which situation was better for me. It’s hard to live in a foreign country because there is no help provided when I just wait for people to help me. This made me push myself since I had to do everything by myself. As I overcame these difficulties, I gained more and more confidence.
Now, I live in Canada and I have a beautiful family.
My name is Hiroko. I am from Japan. I am a mother of three daughters. Two of them have Cochlear Implants.
Activating my Cochlear Implant
Also, I got a Cochlear Implant last summer (2020).
For the first time ever, I heard my son’s voice.
The second step of my journey to getting my confidence back was meeting good people who helped me make the right decisions. In my case, my husband was the person who made me change my negative thinking. My husband is from Canada. Soon after I met him, he became an English teacher in Japan. He learned how to teach, and I spent a lot of time learning from him. He is very strict, but he has a good heart.
It has been a long journey, but I know how to best help hearing-impaired children learn English. Anfini’s services will provide a more comfortable and enjoyable as well as a shorter path to learning English for kids with Cochlear Implants. Anfini can provide CI Kids the two things that they need for success: learning English and the ability to meet people. Those two things expand the possibilities for CI Kids by global networking- Anfini’s mission.
I have three daughters. My two youngest daughters have cochlear implants.
The cause of their hearing loss is Usher's syndrome.
They were born with hearing difficulties and developed sight difficulties at the age of 10.
Ever since they were born,
I have not had a peaceful moment.
I did not have any knowledge, experience, or connections.
I did not have any clue about how to raise them.
I just had infinite love for my daughters.
I never gave up on them.
I have spoken to countless people:
Knock Knock, “Please teach me!”
Knock Knock, “Please help me!”
My husband and I have decided to use the fact that we are hearing and that they have a hearing loss as a steppingstone to encourage our daughters to grow into people who appreciate international diversity. I have written many letters, sent many emails, called and visited many teachers and doctors who are knowledgeable about educating kids with hearing loss.
When we went to Australia, my daughters and I met an AVT therapist. She is passionate about helping CI Kids bring out their abilities. Thanks to her, I learned about Australia’s innovative way of thinking about kids with cochlear implants and their education system. She did not just believe in the technological promise of cochlear implants but also believed in CI Kids’ abilities and their future possibilities.
I learned that over 90% of CI Kids in Australia are mainstreamed in regular schools and receive speech and language therapy from a young age.
I also interviewed mothers who had helped their CI Kids learn a spoken language well.
As a result, my beliefs that CI Kids are not disabled children were confirmed. The handicaps that they face are not from cochlear implants, but rather from the lack of awareness of the adults who surround them.
How much do you believe in the possibilities of CI Kids?
Regardless of what people said about CI Kids in the past, everyone’s adversities lead to opportunities.
When CI Kids push themselves to step up, we adults want to open up a path so that they can fly high toward the vast open sky.
I have launched Anfini with this mindset.
Anfini believes in the possibilities of CI Kids.
The possibilities of cochlear implants are infinite.
It is the CI Kids themselves that are the key to opening the door to this future of possibilities.
As the saying goes, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” We will create our own future even if our future is still extremely uncertain. We want CI Kids to expand the possibilities for themselves, and become the hopes of those who come after them.
