Herbert's Heartfelt Mission: Empowering Indonesia's Deaf Community

Annie O’Shea our Head of Community

Herbert Klein is on a mission in Indonesia, focusing on two crucial areas: improving mental health and ensuring disaster preparedness for the Deaf community. His work gained importance due to Indonesia's frequent natural disasters.

Herbert shared his work and vision with a large crowd at Remark! with Annie O’Shea, Head of Community, as the host. He highlighted a concerning fact: during disasters like the 2004 tsunami in Aceh, many Deaf people were left without warnings or a way to call for help. This event alone saw 266,000 lives lost, and it's uncertain how many were deaf individuals who couldn't receive alerts or aid.

"In the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami in Aceh, 266,000 lives were lost. Among those, we wonder—how many were like us, unable to hear the warnings, unable to call for help?"

Herbert's research involved 523 Deaf people from 15 cities. The findings were alarming: 70% didn't receive any warning before a disaster, 78% felt trauma and anxiety afterwards, and a staggering 96% had no access to mental health support.

Herbert Klein’s presentation on his work in Indonesia

Despite these challenges, Herbert's message was one of hope and action. He talked about a successful training program in East Java for 100 Deaf individuals, led by Deaf instructors, focusing on empowerment and disaster preparedness.

This event raised £576, a sum that underscores the community's generosity and commitment to this cause.

The event, showing strong community support and generosity, raised a whopping £576. Herbert expressed his deep gratitude and reinforced his commitment to creating a more inclusive and resilient future for the Deaf community in Indonesia. He emphasized the goal of making sure every Deaf person knows they are seen, heard, and valued, aiming for a world where no one is left behind during disasters.