Another BOTEC R&D initiative led to successful innovation in the field of solar-powered products for the hearing impaired. Some 167 million people in developing countries suffer from deafness, or disabling hearing impairment, which limits their opportunities for education and employment. Low cost hearing aids, while available, are not designed for conditions in impoverished communities where batteries are scarce and costly. To address this problem, BOTEC produced a body-worn, solar-powered hearing aid. The low-cost hearing device has become a great success in assisting hearing-impaired people in Botswana and abroad.