My deafness didn't stop me volunteering in Nepal

Angus (18), who is moderately to severely deaf, spent seven weeks in Nepal with charity Raleigh International, helping rebuild communities stricken by earthquakes.

He was inspired after his sister went on a similar expedition in Costa Rica. “It was an ideal opportunity to travel, gain new experiences and develop myself,” says Angus.

As a deaf young person, Angus faced particular challenges. “I was anxious about struggling to pick up the Nepali language, but so was everyone else. I had to put my hearing aids in a dehumidifying box overnight because of the constant sweat, rainwater and humidity. Luckily my audiology department provided me with spares,” he recalls. “My hearing aids drew some attention from people in Nepal… they were surprised but didn’t treat me any differently – a lot of them wanted to understand how they worked and try them on!”

"I wanted to help after the earthquake."

Angus, who was diagnosed as moderately to severely deaf at two-and-a-half years old, raised some of the money for the trip but also received sponsorship from Witherby Publishing Group Ltd who generously matched his funding.

“I wanted to go to Nepal because the landscapes and culture fascinated me and I wanted to help after the earthquake. It felt really special to be the start of something. I often bumped into locals and it was really nice having conversations with different kinds of people. I love the Nepalese food, especially Dal Bhat (national dish of rice, lentil soup and vegetable curry) and how open and kind the people are,” Angus says. “The trip was extremely motivating and really put things into perspective for me. I’m definitely going back.”

Angus is now studying geography at the University of Aberdeen. Well done Angus!