Wheelchairs for the disabled made possible by Marula Community Chrome
In response to a request for funding from the Roka Mashishi Traditional Council, Marula Community Chrome (MCC) – in which the six local communities are shareholders – has authorised a donation to purchase over 60 wheelchairs for the disabled in the Ga-Mashishi and surrounding areas.
A recent survey and needs analysis undertaken in the area by the Rotary Community Corps Forest Hill and the Mapotlakele Poverty Alleviation Committee revealed a significant need for wheelchairs in the community, and in particular 12 community members were identified for immediate support. Disabled individuals who are housed with their families are often not able to interact with people or access services such as healthcare and social grants because their movement is restricted.
In addition, several partners – including the Rotary E-Club of Baobab, the Rotary Community Corps of Forest Hill and Boikanyo: the Dion Herson Foundation, with the support of the Limpopo Department of Health – have joined hands to implement the Sekhukhune District’s Chair’ished Children Project, which provides specialised seating for children in the area with cerebral palsy.
Unfortunately, children with cerebral palsy cannot use normal wheelchairs because they generally do not have the muscular control which allows them to sit upright. Instead, they need specialised wheelchairs which are fitted and customised according to the needs of each individual child and the customising is done with the assistance of a dedicated group of occupational therapists. This process takes some time to complete but is important to ensure the functionality and comfort of the wheelchairs for the beneficiaries.
The cost of the specialised seating means that very few children in state healthcare will ever get one and impoverished families in rural areas are left to manage on their own. Through innovation and refurbishment, Boikanyo has been able to reduce the cost of each individual customised chair quite significantly so that more children will benefit from the project and MCC has stepped up to ensure that the costs of the refurbishment for 61 specialised wheelchairs are fully funded.
“We believe that the lives of these children and their families can be profoundly impacted with the provision of the specialised seating which gives the children mobility and dignity they deserve,” says Oupa Kgoete of MCC.
