Emjai, who was born profoundly deaf, received a government-subsidised implant three years ago but because that pays for only one implant per person, she had to wait another three years to receive a second one.
Emjai's mother, Nicola Rapson, said the second implant, which had been inserted in an operation at St George's Hospital in Christchurch last month, had been successfully switched on for the first time on Friday.
"She just had a sort of 'what the heck?' look on her face, as of course never having actually heard anything in that ear. She's really quite taken with it.
"It is just a matter of getting her switched up loud now. She is not quite full volume yet but she will get there in the next couple of weeks, hopefully. It's just a matter of backwards and forwards for a few months.
"The new one is just noise to her at the moment. She has to learn to decipher it.
"There's nothing much we can do for her at the moment. She just has to learn to listen with her ear."
Miss Rapson said she was confident Emjai would get to grips with stereo sound quickly.
"Every person is different, but for her, she goes along quite fast, so I would imagine that within the next month she would be up and running completely."
Fundraising efforts in Oamaru have so far raised $40,000 towards the $50,000 cost of the operation, and Miss Rapson said a silent art auction had begun at Art Gallery Picture Framing on Monday and would finish on July 27, to help raise further funds.
More raffles were also planned, she said.
