Our Vision
Our vision is to bring about a world that is transformed by the power of God's Word and the compassion of Christ.
Our Mission
Our mission is to spread the transformative message of God's love to the deaf and hard of hearing. We wholeheartedly believe that everyone deserves to be embraced by the unconditional love and acceptance of Jesus Christ.
Our Story
Victor and Benoite Vodounou were born and raised in Benin, West Africa. They moved to the United States in 1991 and became naturalized US citizens in 2001. Victor is deaf and holds a BS, MS, and PhD in Bilingual Special Education.
Victor attended Africa Bible College for the Deaf in Ibadan, Nigeria where he was saved and baptized by the late missionary Dr. Andre Foster in 1977. Benoite is hearing and holds a BS in Special Education. She is fluent in French, English, Fongbe, American Sign Language, and Francophone Sign Language.
Dr. Victor Vodounou, like many deaf people in the world, experienced hardships growing up deaf in a hearing world. This is especially true in developing countries where deaf people are seen to have “Dead Ears“ or are negatively viewed due to their disabilities. A lot of deaf children are not given the chance of school education or finding out their potential.
Fortunately, Victor was able to receive an education and find his purpose in life through God.
There are approximately 115,000 Deaf people in Benin and like many developing countries. There are very few educational and health facilities for them. The facilities that are available are located in the major cities and are far away from the rural villages where the majority of the deaf population lives.
Victor and Benoite Vodounou noticed this major issue and wanted to help find the solution. That is why they started Live Ear Ministries to provide education, a safe community, and spread the gospel for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Our Values
Our values are three fold:
We believe in providing resources and education to nurture the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community in West Africa.
Education
Economic Empowerment
Evangelism
We are committed to providing faith-based education and developing economic opportunities for deaf students, and supporting healthy relationships between students and their families.
We embrace people from all walks of life, regardless of their background, beliefs, or circumstances. We strive to create an environment that is welcoming, accepting, supportive, and to foster a sense of belonging.