Salima, Malawi … Despite never having been able to walk independently throughout his life, Ishmael, a 27-year-old from a small village near Salima, has always aspired to achieve independence and lead a successful and productive life. His opportunity arose a year ago when he received a mobility device from Action for Progress (AfP). Recently the AfP team visited Salima to follow up on the unit that was delivered to Ishmael. They discovered that he has successfully transformed adversity into success through the utilization of the device.
At the time of the unit’s delivery a year ago, Ishmael was compelled to discontinue his education and was entirely dependent on his family members for assistance with mobility.
Ishmael recounted how, upon learning that he may qualify for one of the units, he crawled 20-kilometers to the Malawi Council for the Handicapped (MACOHA) office to submit his request. He was approved, and on the day he and a group of others were scheduled to receive their units, Ishmael’s excitement was so great that he began crawling towards the line of units to select his device even before the concluding introductory speeches had concluded.
He reports, “I yearn to walk as others do. I was able to attend school for several years, but as I was nearing the completion of my Standard Eight examinations, I was forced to discontinue my education. My weight exceeded the capacity of others to carry me, and the bicycle we had previously utilized had become irreparably damaged. Consequently, my schooling came to an end.”
“My aspiration for success did not diminish with the conclusion of my schooling, and the mobility device provided me with the opportunity to become self-sufficient. I established a small fish market, which has proven to be a profitable venture, generating K4,000 in daily profits (approximately $2.50).” This is enough for me to survive and even to give some assistance to my family. It is my desire to have enough funding to grow my business and sell fish in Lilongwe. If I can do that, I will be able to help send my two brothers to school.”
Ishmael’s story appeared on the Malawi Project web site on 14 July 2023. It was entitled “Mobility – A Dream Realized”.
Reported by Lezina Dankein