Very rarely do people pursuing their MBA get a chance to work with an organization that plays an active role in shaping people’s lives in a manner that humbles the management interns. I got a chance to work with Cochlear which is the world leader in implantable hearing solutions for those who suffer from hearing impairment.
“Blindness separates people from things. Deafness separates people from people.” said the famous Helen Keller. And when I started working with Cochlear I understood that it was indeed true. We are lucky to be gifted with the five senses that help us not just be alive, but to live!
Now, how common is a hearing loss? Let's get down to brass tacks. More than 360 million people in the world suffer from hearing loss and 65 million of those are in India alone. Severe hearing impairment can be done away with using a Cochlear implant. A Cochlear implant is a device that acts as a “replacement” for the cochlea or the inner ear which is responsible for transmitting the sound waves that fall upon our eardrums to our brain. Sadly, less than 1% of the total number of people who need a Cochlear implant in India have actually received it. This is due to a number of factors including the lack of awareness and understanding, the social stigma attached to deafness and access to technology. Cochlear is the world leader in manufacturing cochlear implants and is actively trying to educate, empower and provide solutions to thousands across the world, especially in India.
Now, what is it that made my work special? The understanding that I was working not just with a mere technology-oriented product but also a lifelong commitment to quality (as those who receive implants rely on it to hear for the rest of their lives) made me feel empowered as an intern and part of the organization. I was given the task of handling one part of the communication done by Cochlear India to reach out and language with our 12000+ implantees (called 'recipients’) across the country. Having worked in advertising and being passionate about writing in general, I was already excited as I entered into the role. But as I understood my role over the course of three months, I realized that this was more than just “communication" or “advertising”. I had essentially been tasked with ensuring that our recipients are aware of what their Company - and mind you, for our recipients Cochlear is their company - is doing to make sure they are hearing better every day.
I had the privilege to interact with families in and around Mumbai. Every family had a different history and experience to share. We must note that cochlear implants are most effective when they are implanted soon after birth. The recipients I interacted with were young children and their parents. Take a moment to picture this. A child is welcomed into a family. Her parents have dreams and aspirations of seeing their child reach heights in their professional as well as personal lives. If they discover that their child may be stopped from achieving those dreams by an impairment, it is nothing less than a shock. However, with the help of technology, therapy and the continuous and unwavering support and guidance of their dedicated parents, cochlear recipients are shining brightly across our nation.
I have heard stories where a mother has travelled more than 50 kilometres daily to.provide her child with the right therapy so that he can lead a normal life, another where a lady from a small town in the east has learnt how to drive to take her child to the clinic, of children who have emerged as nationally acclaimed painters, badminton players, bankers and engineers on the dint of their hard work, faith and determination. This is the experience I had during my internship. I met people. I had a humane internship.
Throughout my internship, I was pushed to learn and interact. Everyone around me was more than willing to share and educate. What I found astonishing was that every employee working with Cochlear seemed passionate about their role, as if they knew that they were part of something big and unique - a real chance to touch people’s lives.
I believe I have learned more about people, families and the sheer strength of human will during the three months of my internship than the last few years of my formative learning. And this by far has been most gratifying and humbling.
Technology built to touch lives. That has been my internship experience.