Help Kenyan children with disabilities into school

In our last update we brought you news of HATW’s efforts to provide new wheelchairs to the DCC, with associated staff training, in collaboration with the mobility charity Motivation Africa. We are pleased to share that new wheelchairs have now been provided and appropriately fitted for 35 people with disabilities from Maua and the surrounding area.

Following discussions and interactions with the wheelchair recipients, this initiative has clearly had a tremendously positive impact. Children and adults who were previously completely dependent on another to carry them from place to place have a newfound freedom of movement. They can now perform many more tasks for themselves, such as getting food. This has brought with it an improved sense of independence and feeling of control over their lives, along with enhanced aspirations for the future and motivation to pursue these, including educational and professional ambitions. We’d like to share with you now the stories of three of the individuals supported - all pictured below, both prior to receiving their new wheelchairs (shown left side) and afterwards (right side).

Ernest is 12 years old and has cerebral palsy. His teacher says that before the project, if Ernest wished to move, he was entirely dependent on being carried around. The picture on the right shows Ernest in the wheelchair he received through the project. Now he can push himself around and has much greater freedom of movement. Since the project, Ernest says he is feeling motivated and is grateful for the wheelchair he’s received.

Patrick, 40, is a below-knee amputee with paraplegia paralysis. Before the project, he relied on his brothers to carry him around (as shown in the left photo). This was particularly troublesome for him when there was no one else around. Through the project he received a wheelchair, pictured right, which has been transformative for him. He can now move about whenever suits him regardless of the presence of others. He now feels like “he will not bother people as he can move around on his own”. He also now feels his dreams are valid and wishes to start a small business.

Precious is 12 years old and has cerebral palsy. She attends Athi special school, a local school dedicated to serving children with disabilities and which Hands Around the World has previously supported. Precious had previously had a wheelchair before the project but it had become unusable with broken wheels, damaged brakes and no footrest. As such she had become dependent on her guardians to move her around. Thanks to the new wheelchair, she says she is now able to move herself around and play with the other kids at the school. She is very thankful for the new wheelchair and looks forward to pursing her studies.