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The Newsletter for Through the Roof
“ I Am Blessed For What They Have Done For Me “
What a Treat !
Transforming Priorities
“ You ’ re Welcome Here ”
No : No 60 : Summer 83 SPRING 2014 2022
“ He Now Has a Dignified Place ”
Wheels for the World in Kumi , Uganda 2022
“ He now has a dignified place , up from the dirt !”, said the mother of Francis , a 23 year old man with cerebral palsy . He arrived carried at the distribution on his mother ’ s back . He had a wheelchair as a child , but outgrew it , and now his mother carries him for any journeys beyond crawling distance . His legs were covered in mud and his knees calloused from crawling . When he got in his wheelchair , he immediately started pushing himself around — it was hard to finish fitting the chair because he was so excited to be moving ! He can now get around without crawling in the mud .
It ’ s fantastic to return to in-person distributions after a few successful but challenging internetsupported Wheels for the World trips . The Kumi team saw 210 people , with all the stock of 119 wheelchairs distributed , plus a similar number of other mobility aids . It was still different from previous trips , as there were only four in the Wheels team . Our partners at Kumi Community Foundation and the Kumi Hospital team covered other roles , with those who ’ ve assisted in past distributions taking on more responsibility . It ’ s great to develop these skills , and we ’ re looking to keep building those mutual partnerships on future distributions .
It ’ s clear the need in Kumi is still massive . The team had planned to see about 30 people a day — mostly those preselected by our partners — but news made it to the radio , and early days were oversubscribed . Around 100 people arrived for the first day , and many had to be turned away , with KCF arranging for follow up in future . Despite that , they managed to see 58 people — working hard well into the evening .
There were lots of children with conditions including cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus as well as brittle bones and spine deformities , and many people with bad pressure sores . Each one was treated as special by our fantastic team . The team did extraordinary work , listening to each individual ’ s needs and customising wheelchairs in innovative ways to fit perfectly , as well as offering training and advice on the best care for the future .
Every one of the people the team saw has an amazing story , but here are just a few whose lives have been changed by your support of the Wheels for the World programme .
Paul , a 15 year old with cerebral palsy , was a returning client , having received a wheelchair a few years ago which broke last year . Since then , his friends have carried him . Paul spoke amazing English , and transporting himself to school with his wheelchair has helped him gain an excellent education . We hope that this wheelchair will give freedom to transport himself to school once more .
Mary , 70 , rented her clothes to people in her village so she could pay for transport . Her children used to carry her and bring water from the bore hole , however 8 years ago they had
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