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Supporting Children with Disabilities in Kenya: Training for Caregivers and Community Workers
In May 2024, the Walkabout Kenya Team, together with Bethany Kids, hosted a special training session to help caregivers and community workers better support children with disabilities. We welcomed 12 participants from across Kenya, with the training being led by our Country Manager, Paul, and our Occupational Therapist, Kate. From the start, participants shared their hopes, from becoming experts in special needs care to raising awareness in their communities. The week-long training was hands-on and engaging, making it easy for everyone to learn and grow together. The team covered important topics like understanding caregiver roles, practical aspects like feeding, play, and communication. The highlight of the training was a workshop on reusable diapers, led by our Community Outreach Officer, Charity Nana. As the training ended, participants left with clear action plans and a renewed sense of purpose. With certificates in hand, they are now ready to create supportive communities for caregivers of children with developmental disabilities. The impact of this training goes beyond the participants. By empowering caregivers across Kenya, we hope to create a ripple effect that could reach thousands within a year. We are excited to follow up with the participants as they put their new knowledge to work and bring positive change to their communities. 
Walkabout in Kenya: Restoring Mobility with Free Wheelchair Mission
In March 2024, the Walkabout Team travelled to Nanyuki, Kenya, together with our long-standing partner, Free Wheelchair Mission, and a group of their supporters from Right at Home.
Throughout the week, the team not only provided 53 wheelchairs, but also created meaningful connections between beneficiaries and supporters. They gained valuable insights into the complexities of our work and the profound impact it has on the lives of others. From conducting beneficiary assessments to personally fitting each wheelchair, every step of the process was marked by care, compassion, and commitment to empowering mobility.
Going beyond mere distributions, the team immersed themselves in the local community by participating in various activities with our local team and residents. For example, taking part in sitting volleyball matches not only brought joy and fostered a sense of camaraderie, but also highlighted the importance of inclusion and recreation for individuals with disabilities.
As we reflect on the impact of our work in Kenya, we invite you to join us in supporting our ongoing efforts. Your donation could help us continue to provide essential wheelchairs to individuals in need, fostering independence, dignity, and inclusion within local communities. Together, we can make a difference, one wheelchair at a time.
To support our work in Kenya and provide mobility to people in need, donate today by clicking below.
Walkabout in Uganda
Travel to Uganda with us today by watching the film above – a visual journey that shows the impact of our work in the region.
As we reflect on our journey, we are thrilled to share the remarkable progress of our projects. Since our first distribution in Uganda in 2014, we have delivered over 3,300 wheelchairs and trikes throughout the country, making a tangible difference in the lives of thousands of people with mobility disabilities.
In 2022, we reached significant milestones through two key projects: the Monitoring & Evaluation Project (M&E) and the Repairs Project. The M&E Project aimed to identify any service gaps, assess the need for improvements, and ensure that our wheelchairs created meaningful changes in the lives of our beneficiaries.
With the insights that we gained from the M&E Project, we launched our first-ever Repairs Project. This project aimed to extend the lifespan of our wheelchairs by addressing the identified issues and making necessary improvements in order to ensure a cost-efficient and sustainable provision of wheelchairs and tricycles.
As we celebrate our achievements, we extend our deepest gratitude for your ongoing support. Together, we are restoring dignity, freedom, and independence to thousands of individuals around the world. To support our work and be a part of this life-changing journey, donate today by clicking below.
Walkabout in Ukraine: Artem’s Story
In February 2022, Vladimir Putin launched a military invasion of Ukraine. A devastating humanitarian crisis continues to unfold in the country.
In May 2022, we launched the #Walkabout4Ukraine campaign to send 100 wheelchairs to people with mobility disabilities in Ukraine. Thanks to the support of our community and a generous donor, we were able to send an emergency container to Lviv together with our partner, Momentum Wheels for Humanity, and play a pivotal role in helping a country in need.
Meet Artem, one of our wheelchair beneficiaries. Watch the video below to hear his story.
Walkabout Foundation Returns to Ghana!
In May 2023, the Walkabout team returned to Ghana for the first time since 2012, to distribute 175 custom-fitted wheelchairs to locals with mobility disabilities across the country.
We worked together with our local 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.
It was an amazing week, filled with joy, happiness and gratitude. We would like to thank every single person who helped make this distribution happen. On behalf of all the beneficiaries whose lives were changed during this distribution, thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
We would like to once again thank our donors and our local partners, for helping us change so many lives and restore dignity, freedom and independence to people with mobility disabilities in Ghana.
200 wheelchairs for children in the Dominican Republic
In October 2022, the Walkabout Team returned to the Dominican Republic to provide 200 paediatric wheelchairs to children in need. For this distribution, we worked together with our partner,Centro de Atención Integral para la Discapacidad (CAID), and a group of volunteers from Team Canada Healing Hands.
The majority of the kids we met never had a wheelchair before, and for them their new chair represented a world of new opportunities – to go to school, make new friends, and be independent for the very first time. On behalf of all the children whose lives were changed during this distribution, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. None of this would be possible without your support.
To support our work in the Dominican Republic and provide mobility to kids in need, donate today by clicking below.
Walkabout Returns to Northern Uganda
Northern Uganda hosts one of the world’s biggest refugee populations, with approximately 2 million refugees residing in the region today. Because of the South Sudanese war the country is under extreme pressure, and the need for wheelchairs is at an all time high.
This May, Walkabout returned to Uganda to distribute 320 wheelchairs and 50 trikes together with our incredible partners, World Action Fund and Hope Health Action. These chairs came from our Wheelchair Assembly & Repair Centre in Kenya, where they were built by our local team. So far, our partners have distributed 155 wheelchairs and 31 tricycles, and we look forward to distributing the rest in the coming months!
The need in the region is still overwhelming, and we need your support to help those in dire need. Click below to help us continue changing lives in Uganda.
