St. Andrew’s Helps Ibrah To Hear The Birds Again!

Mar 15, 2023

Meet Ibrahim Senfuma is a Ugandan bird guide used by St. Andrew’s Anglican Church parishioners Alison and Stewart Bentley in 2022. Ibrah is experiencing severe hearing loss which is negatively affecting his ability to do his guiding job, which depends heavily on being able to recognize bird sounds.

Impacted first by the almost complete shut down of his country and the tourist trade owing to COVID and then dealt another blow recently when Ebola again slowed tourism, Ibrah is in no position to afford the hearing aids he so desperately needs. It is not just a quality of life issue for him as is entire livelihood is threatened. There are no social financial safety nets in Uganda.

We have put Ibrah in touch with the resources he needs to get the correct specialized hearing aids. Recently he went to Kampala, got a prescription, and was recommended the best aids to help him to hear birds and start work again. The Starkey Foundation, which makes those aids, was contacted and they referred us to their Uganda clinic.

The doctor there, Muhammad, has offered a discount. However, depending on the model chosen, each ear will cost between $1200 and $2000 USD with the high end choice obviously being optimal. He is so desperate he said even one ear would be better than nothing. As he said in a recent email, at present he is helpless.

St. Andrew’s has thus initiated a fundraiser to help Ibrah.

Donations can be sent to St. Andrew’s in Sharbot Lake at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Auto deposit is enabled. Please put Ibrah in the message field along with your address as tax receipts will be issued for all donations. Thank-you for helping Ibrah to hear the birds again!

This fundraiser is part of an ongoing project at St. Andrew’s to support need in Uganda. Last year some $10,000 worth of medical supplies and equipment, along with several pairs of binoculars for local guides, was delivered to Uganda.

St. Andrew’s is also active in our own community supporting the North Frontenac food bank, visiting shut-ins and participating in local events.