“How can one fulfill a dream when they cannot even walk out of their house? And how can a young boy imagine success when his mother has to carry him everywhere on her back?”
These were the questions facing Chimwemwe Allan, who at the age of 11, dreamed of getting an education and becoming a school teacher. Sadly, these dreams were often interrupted when he faced the reality he was crawling in the mud and dust to get to school. He suffered from childhood cerebral palsy, a disease that affects the brain of a new born child. The effect is often immobility, deafness and inability to speak.
In Chimwemwe’s case his legs are paralysed and he will never walk. However, he can speak and is considered one of the most intelligent pupils in his class. He is determined to become a teacher, and a few minutes with him will convince the naysayer that he will probably succeed if he has the resources. His mother struggles with mental problems, but is totally committed to his education, and she has been carrying him to school on her back ever since nursery school. She has not missed a day, except for illness or other necessities. When she cannot carry him he crawls to school in the dust.
Recently, Chimwemwe received a wheelchair, thanks to the Malawi Project and their work with Free Wheelchair Mission, and the Namikango Mission. It will help him in his quest for an education. He hails from Mbera Village in Balaka District -Southern Malawi. Now, with the help of his wheelchair, Chimwemwe is even more determined to work and gain his educaton. Now he will get to school clean and on time.
Wilson Isaac Tembo and Richard Stephens
