Latter-Day Saints gets the disabled on the move

By Valerian Kkonde

PEARL NEWS SERVICE

It was a dream comes true as the visibly excited People with Disabilities (PWDs) received state-of-the art wheelchairs, free of charge, from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The 354 wheelchairs were donated at the closing of a four-day Wheelchair Basic training and Distribution, in line with the Church’s humanitarian services.

“My heart is throbbing with happiness for receiving this wheelchair. Thanks to the donors. We promise to work with you to help our fellow PWDs also acquire wheelchairs.

Thank you donors for easing our mobility; we shall be able to go to Church, visit friends, go for work and attend conferences,” sang Sserwanga Robert who represented the beneficiaries.

“With the help of these wheelchairs, I can now tell the people that: move! And they move! We now have a vibrant community,” said Mukasa John as he moved from one side of the hall to the other in his new wheelchair.

For John Bazira Sam, the wheelchair means more than mobility; it means saving a lot of shillings. He said that he has an old wheelchair but cannot fold it when traveling.

“Whenever I use a taxi, I have to pay for two seats. With this gift, all that is of the past. I will just fold my wheelchair, put it in the boot, and comfortably move on.”

The beneficiaries commended Bongole Rose for a job well done.

Bongole Rose, the National Wheelchair Coordinator- Ministry of Health- said that the association was started in 2004. This was after a conference on disability organized by the Norwegian Association of the Disabled.

“We discovered that we lacked equipment, technology and personnel. That is what makes this day a special one to us. We have not only received quality wheelchairs but also training to assemble and determine the size of the wheelchair.

This will reduce the secondary disabilities which result from use of inappropriate wheelchairs.”

Rose urged the 32 trainees to go out and put to use the skills acquired. She reminded them that the country is going to depend on them to make the right decisions. The trainees were selected from government hospitals and private rehabilitation centers.

Congratulating Kakeeto upon receiving a new wheelchair after the one he had was stolen, because where he was visiting there was no ramp, she pointed out that the wheelchairs donated have serial numbers which will make it easy to track them.

Rose further revealed that a program to recycle the old wheelchairs was in the pipeline, and that that will be their contribution in the struggle to avail Ugandans with wheelchairs.

Each of the wheelchairs donated is estimated to cost at least 700, 000 shillings. This is far beyond the reach of majority Ugandans who yearn for them. One hundred of the wheelchairs donated will be produced locally.

“The wheelchair initiative is about what you are going to do. The most important issue to us is one to find joy, satisfaction and help others progress,” Jimmy Carter Okot the representative of the Church declared.

Pointing out that all the money that bought the wheelchairs was from the church, he told the gathering that the message was that Christ did not come to give people fish but to teach them how to fish. In 2010, the Church spent US $ 15 million on 119 disasters in 50 countries.

Receiving the wheelchairs, the minister for health revealed that 1.5 million Ugandans need wheelchairs. Of these only 15000 have access to one. The rest just cannot afford due to poverty.

“Among those who have access to a wheelchair, very few have access to appropriate wheelchairs. An appropriate wheelchair, among other things, is the one that meets the user’s needs and environmental conditions; provides proper fit and postural support, is safe and durable.”

The minister too commended the Church for training the staff in assessment, fitting and maintenance of the wheelchair. She said that since the ministry has regional referral orthopedic workshops, the training will boost their production and thus reach out to many more people.

The trainers from America comprised of Doctors and Physiotherapists. As they saw off their trainees, they were headed for Kigali- Rwanda, Uganda’s South-Eastern neighbours, where they wee going to perform the same exercise.