Salima, Malawi… With a name like “love”, how can anything go wrong? But for 14-year-old Chikondi Samson (his name means “love”), who lives in Kamwaha Village near Salima, Malawi it seems almost everything that can go wrong has gone wrong.
Born in one of the poorest nations on earth it was soon discovered young Chikondi had developed cerebral palsy. Compounding the problem even further was the onslaught of serious cases of malaria. With no cure, and very little medical care available, his brother Mkupatila recalled how his brother had to drop out of school in standard 4. Future opportunities were lost, and even though this portion of his education would have been free, it was impossible for family members to carry Chikondi on their backs in order to reach the nearest school. The problem was so serious Chikondi could not even make his way to the toilet by himself. Constant care was needed.
Recently Chikondi was awarded one of the hand-peddled mobility units manufactured by Mobility Ministries in Demotte, Indiana and delivered to his village through a joint program with Mobility, the Malawi Project and Action for Progress. Working closely with MACOHA, the Malawi government’s program to help those who cannot move about because of mobility issues, Mr. Chingwalu, a rehabilitation worker for MACOHA, offered an optimistic view of Chikondi’s future after receiving the unit. “It is not too late for Chikondi to go back to school and start class one,” he emphasized.
Chikondi’s brother, Samson added, “There is no valid excuse why my brother should fail to attend classes, The mobility unit is here, and will be a great help. It remains now for the family to give special care and love to Chikondi so he will study and progress.”
Adding to the encouragement and advice to Chikondi and the family, Griven Kasalika, working beside Wilson Tembo to deliver this unit, made this observation, “It is of great importance that as a family they take care of the mobility unit in any way possible, so Chikondi will not fail to attend classes.”
(Hand peddled mobility units produced by Mobility Worldwide, and Mobility Ministries are recognized in different cultures by different names. In the U.S. they can be seen as mobility or individualized transportation units. In Malawi, they are often known as tricycles because they have 3 wheels. Units currently being delivered to Malawi are produced from plants in Demotte, Indiana for adult units, and child units come from Holland, Michigan. This is a joint program sponsored by Mobility Ministries, Malawi Project and Action for Progress.)
