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By Marlvin Ngiza
Youths with disabilities, specifically with walking difficulties, are set to benefit from a wheelchair charity exercise by a local youth organisation.
Exorbitant prices charged on assistive devices have seen many people with disabilities failing to acquire them, a situation that restricts their daily routines.
Youth Health Organisation (YOHO) will from next week commence distributing wheelchairs to people with disabilities who need urgent assistance.
The initiative targets school-going children from the age of 6 to 18 years and 20 wheelchairs will be given away next week.
Youth Empowerment Projects Director in the organisation, Tinotenda Gwaze said that the gesture is meant to assist youths with disabilities who are facing challenges in acquiring education since they do not have wheelchairs.
“In our travels, we have come across youths with disabilities in dire need of wheelchairs and most of them did not have the means to get them. Wheelchairs are expensive and most cannot afford to get one.
“This wheelchair program is focusing on the school-going children from the age 6 to 18 years. Since it’s a pilot program, we decided to start with primary school children with the goal of even reaching out to secondary and tertiary students.
“We have placed focus on the school-going age because most of them are missing out on school because of the lack of wheelchairs. In terms of area, for now, we are assisting youths in Harare and Norton though we hope to spread to other locations outside Harare. Right now our financial resources restrict us to these areas. At the moment we will give out around 15 to 20 wheelchairs,” said Gwaze.
There are also some pairs of crutches that the organisation will give out.
“We will also be giving out clutches to selected beneficiaries. So far, I am sure there are more than 10 pairs,” added Gwaze.
Those who want to benefit can contact them providing all the information which will be closely examined by the organisation.
“They should contact us and just send the basic information such as the name, age, location (not the actual address because of safety concerns), contact person (s), condition, or type of disability. Then we try to match the beneficiary to the wheelchair.
“So far we have recorded 100 beneficiaries,” said Gwaze
Meanwhile, YOHO works with youths in areas such as sexual reproductive health and youth empowerment.
“Mainly we cover issues to do with the health of youth, lifestyle choices, youth empowerment, sexual reproductive health, gender-based violence, Sustainable Development Goals sensitization, and youth rights.
“Our mission is to address issues affecting the health of the youths and providing sustainable solutions on how youths can lead healthy lives as well as ensuring easily affordable and accessible health care information and services,” said Gwaze
The organisation was formed in 2019 and is expecting to give away 50 wheelchairs by the end of 2022.
A standard wheelchair for someone with Cerebral Palsy costs $US800.