Kanthonga Village, Malawi … It is nearly time for the rains to begin. Heavy rains. Torrential rains. Rains that spread a muddy surface across the landscape, and all over anyone unable to stay distant from the water-drenched surface.
For Joseph, it has always been a bad time. While the dust of the dry season had its drawbacks it was the mud of the rainy season that made his movement nearly impossible.
Joseph Patrick is 25 years of age, and for his entire life, his feet have been helpless to give him movement. The inability to move about cost him his education, for in his final year of his senior classes he had to drop out of school. Without an education, it was uphill all the way, yet despite the difficulties Joseph has striven to reach his goals. One of them has been to have a mobility unit so he could move about and forge out a living. The second was to operate his grocery. The cost of a mobility unit was out of the question, and this meant everything else in his life was going to remain on hold. Then came Action for Progress. Free! Free, they gave him a brand-new mobility unit. The doors of opportunity were open, and the sky was the limit. Patrick was going to take full advantage of this opportunity. Of his spirit and commitment, his guardian notes,
“Joseph is hard working. We now buy groceries from his shop, and he is an example for disabled people that disability does not limit them to inability. In our village, he is like a torch that you can see from afar. Everyone knows him, and you cannot fail to see him.”
When Action for Progress arrived, along with a representative from MACHOHA, they delivered a brand-new orange, blue, and yellow mobility unit to Joseph. It had already been configured to perfectly fit his needs. Joseph climbed up onto the seat and began to move about. Now he will be able to visit the wholesaler in person to handle his grocery purchases. With the added convenience of movement and the time he will experience, he will also be able to attend local soccer games, church services, and other community activities. According to the village chief, he will even have time to give his support to the village development agency.