Since 2003, poor Colombians have been given hearing aids through ‘Colombia Oye’, a program which is under the responsibility of the first lady of the country, Lina Moreno de Uribe. The initiative counts nowadays on Siemens Foundation exclusive support, but had the participation of two other manufacturers in the past. For each hearing aid bought through fundraising, Siemens Foundation provides a second hearing aid free of charge, both being given away. From 2003 to 2009, private contributions allowed to purchase 538 instruments, therefore to offer 1076 devices. Due to the success of the program, Siemens Foundation has been endowed in 2010 with 500 hearing aids and will seek contributions for other 500 instruments. To meet this objective, the program Colombia Oye will have this year the support of radio RCN whose role will be to incentivize contributions. The responsibility to fit the hearing aids has been given to the INSOR (Instituto National para Sordos), a National Institution for Deaf People. The products are supplied by a brand-new Siemens factory which began to operate at the end of 2009 in Tenjo, an industrial area on the outskirts of Bogotá. (Picture: Siemens)