We are thrilled to celebrate our 25-year journey, which began with a meeting between a lady trained to teach hearing-impaired babies and an ENT surgeon, Dr. Wachasundar, in 1998. The journey started with Khandu, a boy from a laborer family, who received a hearing aid and therapy under Mrs. Raksha Deshpande.

Despite the challenges of the time, with no mobiles or social media, we conducted camps and implemented innovative ideas to raise awareness about the potential for born deaf children to hear and speak when detected and intervened at the right age. Dr. Wachasundar and Mrs. Raksha Deshpande tirelessly pursued this mission, even venturing into remote areas on foot.

Today, our organization operates eight centers in Pune district, one in Sindhudurg district, and two in Goa. We have successfully integrated 205 students into mainstream schools. Through our parent training program, 154 mothers have been trained, and some have completed DECSE, becoming special educators. Notably, 40% of Cochlea’s teachers are mothers of hearing -impaired children, highlighting our commitment to inclusivity and community involvement.