Active Events Stories
Active Events
Nadia’s Story
Meet Nadia, a 63-year-old woman from the Gumbiri Village, Uganda. After being diagnosed with Polio, it became quite challenging for Nadia to keep up with her domestic chores, as she was unable to move around independently.
Nadia relied heavily on the assistance of her son, Oduma, to carry out most of her daily tasks. Since receiving her brand new wheelchair, Nadia no longer relies on her son to carry her around. She is now able to travel across her village and engage with other community members!
Dave’s Story
Meet, Dave a little boy from Ghana.
Before Walkabout’s donation, Dave never had wheelchair. His mother used to be a caterer, but she had to quit job to stay home and take care of her son.
We met at our 2023 distribution in Ghana together with our partners, Orthopaedic Training Centre (OTC) and Kabaka Foundation.
We gave Dave a brand new wheelchair, transforming not only his life, but also his mother’s. Now that Dave has a wheelchair, his mother can go back to work and leave him at home with her neighbour, and she’s very excited to be able to take him to church and enrol him at a local school!
Viola’s Story
The need for wheelchairs in South Sudan is incredibly high due to the impact of the civil war and the lack of medical facilities. At the end of 2023, together with our partner, Hope Health Action (HHA), we sent 50 wheelchairs from their Centre in Northern Uganda to South Sudan. The wheelchairs are being distributed by our partner in outreach clinics in Kajo Keji.
Meet Viola, one of our beneficiaries from South Sudan. She is 26 years old and has a diploma in Business Administration, but has struggled to find job opportunities due to her lack of mobility. Without a wheelchair, she had to crawl on the ground.
After HHA and Walkabout assessed her needs, Viola was able to receive a brand new wheelchair! Viola is now hopeful she will be able to find a job and regain her independence.
Walter’s Story
Meet Walter, a 12 year old boy from Haiti!
He has a neurological disorder, and in turn requires a wheelchair to move around. Walter lives with a group of other special needs children and their caregivers. He is very happy and energetic, he loves to smile, clap, and play with the other children. When Walkabout met Walter, he was using a wheelchair that was not appropriate for his height and his hyperactivity, which meant he was unable to move around in it safely.
Now that he has received a custom fitted wheelchair from Walkabout, he can go outside everyday and visit church on Sundays. Thanks to the security strap on the chair, he can be super active and stay stable!
Josh’s Story
Meet Josh, a 6-year-old boy from Kenya.
He has Cerebral Palsy and has never been able to move around independently. Before receiving a wheelchair, Josh was unable to attend daycare and had difficulty engaging with other children as he couldn’t move around or sit up to play with them.
Our local team gave Josh his first wheelchair and he’s so happy! He can sit up comfortably, play with his toys using the tray attached to the chair, join daycare and socialise with other children.
Thanks to your support, we continue to bring smiles and opportunities to children like Josh, restoring their dignity, freedom and independence.
Enam’s Story
Meet Enam, a 14-year-old boy from Nsawam, Ghana. He was diagnosed with Polio when he was one year old.
We met at our 2023 distribution in Ghana together with our partners, Orthopaedic Training Centre (OTC) and Kabaka Foundation. This wheelchair distribution wouldn’t be possible without the support of Tullow Ghana Limited, and we are very grateful for their generosity.
When we met, Enam had an old wheelchair that wasn’t functional at all.
One of Enam’s passions is playing soccer, and he makes an amazing goalkeeper. We gave Enam a brand-new wheelchair, which has transformed his life. Thanks to his new chair, he can move around independently, and he’s excited to go back to school, play soccer and hang out with his friends!
Anna’s Story
Meet Anna, one of the beneficiaries from Ghana. We met at our 2023 wheelchair distribution together with OTC Ghana and Kabaka Foundation.
Anna was diagnosed with Hydrocephalus when she was just 2 years old. Her dad has to work to provide for the family, so he often had to leave Anna at home, which was very isolating for her.
Before Walkabout’s donation, Anna had an old wheelchair that she had outgrown. Now that she has a brand-new custom-fitted paediatric chair, Anna can finally go to school, make new friends and be a lot more independent. Just look at that happy smile!
Feruzi’s Story
Feruzi lives in Kiangai and has Cerebral Palsy. Both his parents are very supportive and do their best to take care of him and each other. After receiving his wheelchair life became so much better for Feruzi and his parents! Now they can take him to church, and he is much more involved in his local community. His wheelchair makes it so much easier for his parents to move him around and he can play with his toys using the tray attached to the chair!
Almasi’s Story
Almasi is from Karatina in Kenya. Since receiving her wheelchair her quality of life has improved so much, she is one of the happiest children in her village! Life was very hard for Almasi before her wheelchair, she was very isolated and couldn’t attend school. Now it is much easier for her to go out, she can travel to school and be much more independent. Her caregiver is also now able to work while Almasi is at school! She feels included in her local community and can participate in more activities when she is at home.
Gacoki’s Story
Gacoki is a 38-year-old cobbler and snack-seller in Kenya. His life has been full of physical and emotional challenges, he was born with polio, a condition that caused his body to fold his knees to his chest. His parents did the best they could until missionaries came to his aid and took him in at a young age. When he was 9 years old, he had surgery to straighten out his body and he used crutches to walk around. The missionaries were very supportive, and he went to school up until year 5 which he really enjoyed. Sadly, when he was 12, the missionaries left, and he went back to live with his parents. This wasn’t an easy time for Gacoki, his brothers rejected him as an outcast, and he felt very isolated.
When he was 18, the missionaries were able to get him his first wheelchair! This newfound mobility gave him a sense of dignity and independence. He could start working, using his chair to help him support the goods of his trade, he got married and was with the missionaries where he felt accepted. He took really good care of his chair and it served him well over the last 20 years. Sadly, he suffered a great loss, both his parents and his wife passed away. He left the missionaries 3 years ago and he became incredibly isolated. Despite these hardships, Gacoki remained resilient and hopeful, he discovered Walkabout and things started to turn around. Walkabout gave him a brand-new wheelchair, boosting his mobility and opening possibilities for Gacoki to keep supporting himself. The independence a wheelchair brings gives his life meaning, purpose, and hope for the future.
Colines’ Story
This year, we have returned to Uganda, a country very close to our hearts, to distribute another 320 wheelchairs and 50 trikes. The wheelchairs came directly from our Wheelchair Assembly and Repair Centre in Kenya in a 40-foot container, which includes a variety of wheelchair types for adults and kids in need.
Meet Colines, a smiley and bright 8-year-old boy from Uganda He contracted polio when he was only three years old, and therefore has never been able to walk. His single mother has been forced to stay at home to look after him, making it very hard for her to find a stable job. When the local team met her she had tears of joy in her eyes. When we asked her why, she said: “Colines now has just as good a chance to be successful in his future as any other child!”
Thanks to your support, kids like Colines now have a chance at a bright future and an independent, happy life!
