Earnest Robins, 92, was tested and fitted for hearing aids by Lesley Halferty, from Specsavers Hearing Centre, in early 2007, but died later that year.

After his death his niece, Carol Woods, decided to donate his hearing aids back to Specsavers who support charity Sound Seekers.

Lesley, from the Queens Road centre, travelled to The Gambia, West Africa to visit an audiology project set up by Sound Seekers, where she conducted hearing tests.

She said: "It was an amazing experience to travel to West Africa and meet some of the people so badly affected by hearing loss. One of the most affected groups is the children, who if suffering from hearing loss, are often simply excluded from school due to a lack of specialist teaching.

"Until Sound Seekers' intervention, the only specialist support available for hard of hearing children in The Gambia has been at St John's School for the deaf in Kanifing."

While at the school, Lesley tested the hearing of 13-year-old Bakory Mendy who was suffering from severe hearing loss. Bakory did have some residual hearing so Lesley was able to fit him with a pair of hearing aids donated by Carol Woods.

Lesley said: "It was a great feeling to use the hearing aids that had once helped a 92 year old man from the UK to hear, to help a 13 year old boy hear sounds he had never heard before.

"My time in the Gambia was very inspiring and I'm hoping to return later this year. I hope Ernie's family are pleased his hearing aids have gone to help such a deserving boy as Bakory."

Sound Seekers works to improve the lives of deaf children and children suffering from ear disease in the developing Commonwealth countries by helping to set up and equip audiology clinics and outreach services in partnership with local organisations.

For further information on Sound Seekers go to www.sound-seekers.org.uk.