"I’ll carry these experiences with me for the rest of my life."

Fellini Makimou, a third-year Bachelor of Social Practice student, has just completed her three-month social work placement with Auckland-based cochlear implant services provider, The Hearing House.

Tell us about what you did on your placement

“I’ve enjoying meeting new people and learning more about The Hearing House and what it does. I’ve really enjoyed learning more about cochlear implants and how they’ve changed so many people’s lives for the better. I had only seen people wearing cochlear implants before, but I wasn’t aware of what they were until I started my placement.

In my role, I’ve been able to apply what I’ve learned at Unitec, especially helping kiritaki/clients through the services available to them, such as National Travel Assistance – this is especially helpful for those who travel long distances to get treatment and attend appointments".

What have you enjoyed most about your placement?

“What I love about the team at The Hearing House is that they really care about their kiritaki/clients. People have shared their experiences of how welcome and well looked after they have felt by the team. They’ve also said that it’s like having another family who have supported them throughout their cochlear implant journey.

The team are friendly and warm, and it’s reflected in the wonderful atmosphere you feel when you walk through the door. I’ve especially enjoyed working with Hazel, the counsellor and whānau support person at The Hearing House, and a caring and empathetic wāhine. I’ve also appreciated senior audiologist Caroline Selvaratham’s assistance – she’s been a wonderful and supportive on-site field educator.

I’ve really enjoyed learning more about the deaf and hard of hearing community and the audiologists and speech language therapists who play a vital role in the lives of the D/deaf community and their whānau.

One of the highlights was attending a ‘Share and Connect’ gathering that The Hearing House organised for their cochlear implant kiritaki. It provided ahurutanga (safe space) for the kiritaki to share with others where they were on their cochlear implant journey while sharing kai. Listening to the stories of how much cochlear implants have changed their lives for the better was heartwarming.

One day, I hope to work with organisations who are as passionate as the team are at The Hearing House.  “I’ll carry these experiences with me for the rest of my life.“

What led you to pursue social work?

“I felt it was more of a spiritual guidance that led me to this field as I love what being a social worker entails, and what I’ve learned so far in my degree.  I’ve always been an empathetic and understanding person who felt a strong sense of responsibility to help my family and others.  I was originally doing a double degree in Law and Sociology after I left my job at the ANZ Bank, but I changed degrees as I felt more passionate about social change and making a difference to people’s lives. I also felt that there was a lot more that could be done for Māori and Pasifika due to the first-hand experiences I encountered throughout my upbringing."

How did your coursework help prepare you for this placement?

“Unitec played a huge role in preparing me for this placement as my degree has changed my perspective on life and those around me.

I’m proud of what I’ve learned as I now have a deeper understanding about of the world and its people.

Being empathetic and caring while having the knowledge to work with people from diverse backgrounds is fundamental. One of the most important lessons was to be open minded and to have a willingness to learn. I’ve always wanted to learn NZSL and I was so grateful to have that opportunity while I was at The Hearing House. I was also gifted a sign name from Natasha Cloete, who is the  Manager for Children & Youth at Deaf Aotearoa,  and is based at The Hearing House for some of the week.

A sign name is considered a taonga within the deaf community. I will forever treasure mine and hold it close to my heart.”