Imagine …
…spending each hour of every day of your 4o year life confined to a remote African village.
…crawling through its dust wherever you
… lying at the same doorstep
Sitela Village, Malawi … it was a busy day with a tight schedule at the Namikango Mission in southern Malawi. A major increase in requests for wheelchairs has continued to pour in. Though responses to the requests are simple and straightforward the biggest problem is having enough funding to transport the chairs from the Mission to the needy. The physically challenged people in the remote areas cannot make it to the mission to get a wheelchair. It is hard to image, if you can walk easily, what it means for a physically challenged person to cover a ten-kilometer distance without help.
We followed a winding, steep, and narrow road that cuts through the two hills, Mitumbu to the east and Mingozi to the west. Before crossing a small bridge over Milombozi stream, we enter the village of Sandeni. It is under the jurisdiction of Traditional Authority Chitera-Chiladzulu district, and is located south west of Namikango. The village is situated in a fertile valley, where the villagers spend much of their time faming. The green cover of a sugar cane plantation, and vegetable gardens growing all along the small stream are evident. The village is approximately 10 kilometers south west of the Mission, but who can crawl 10 kilometers to get a much-needed wheelchair?
As we moved along the path and approached the village, a crowd was patiently waiting down the steep side of the hill. Little did we know that all of them were all physically challenged? They all have varied challenges, none can walk, and some have hearing-impairments and others cannot speak. My eyes sought out Mr. Charles Nkuzeni, 40. He was the man we had come to see. He was sitting directly opposite the place from where we were descending, Charles showed some confidence, and was probably sure he would get a much-needed wheelchair. He comes from Sitela Village of Traditional Authority Chitera in Chiladzulu District. If he wants to move, Charles has to crawl in the dust. His horizon, or the extent of his travels has only been a distance of 200 meters since he was born. The furthest he can go is the nearest hospital, and even then he must be picked on a neighbor’s bike to get medical attention. Otherwise he is locked up in this tiny village day in and day out all year round. On this day Charles would not be disappointed. He was at the top of the list.
As he sat on the wheelchair for the first time ever, he could say nothing except to show a simple smile that spoke louder than any word.
Life begins at forty, it is said. For Charles Nkuzeni, a new life may have now started. His horizon has been widened, since he will be able to interact with “friends”, be able to worship at the Church, and will be able to visit the market place. He will be able to visit the Clinic when need rises. With support from the Malawi Project in conjunction with the Free Wheelchair Mission through Namikango Mission-Malawi, Charles is a proud owner of a new wheelchair that will provide mobility.
As we left Charles, the excitement behind us was immeasurable and indescribable. The impact that a wheelchair can make to an individual can be witnessed with Charles.
Wilson Isaac Tembo, Namikango Mission and Richard Stephens, Malawi Project