Edward Selasini
4 July 2009
Arusha — Many disabled people in Tanzania are unable to leave their homes due to high cost of wheelchairs and hence fail to lead an active live or make ends meet. But an a non governmental organization located at Tengeru is helping reverse the trend.
The Technical Manager of Mobility Care of Tengeru area Daniel Namkessa told The Arusha Times last week that importing wheelchairs can create problems of lack of back-up service. Spares are often hard to obtain.
"Additionally, importing makes people dependent on donations and puts nothing into the local economy. In fact, it works against development," said Namkessa.
To overcome this, Mobility Care uses the capacity of local people, and locally available materials to provide a durable solution for disabled people in Tanzania.
Disabled people who approach them, he said, and do not have money to purchase a wheelchair Mobility Care gives them special forms which they fill in and are sent to donors who pay for cost of the wheelchair. One wheelchair costs up to US $ 300.
Mobility wheelchairs are made of locally available materials and are fitted with common bicycle tires that can be found in any village. Each model can be tailor-made to suit the client's needs.
The technicians of Mobility Care have been making wheelchairs in Tanzania since 2003 and several development organizations helped set up the company. Despite starting with limited means Mobility Care has grown into a successful organization, he said.
Mobility Care offers a range of thoroughly tested models to perform in the harsh African environment. It has helped numerous disabled people to get a wheelchairs and also supplies hospitals, dispensaries and organisations involved in physical rehabilitation of the disabled.
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