Life Transformed: Joy and Hope Through Mobility.
The water is running low again. Helen sighs as ten-year-old Chisomo points to the jug—it’s how he shows he’s thirsty. The two little ones will want water soon too. Helen’s husband Raphael is at work as a security guard down by the University of Lusaka, so he won’t be home for hours. Helen will have to go fetch water on her own and bring the children with her.
Feeling a twinge as she hoists Chisomo onto her back, Helen gingerly balances his weight as she secures him in place with a cloth wrap. Chisomo grows every day. Because of his cerebral palsy he will never be able to walk, but she can’t carry him for much longer…
“When a child is born with an impairment, a lot of things become challenging. So with Chisomo’s issue, whenever I want to travel, I carry him,” Helen says.
An Urgent Global Need
Around the world there is an urgent need for pediatric wheelchairs to relieve the suffering of children and families living with disability. Since launching, our Joni and Friends Wheels for the World™ program has provided more than 225,000 wheelchairs to people with disabilities, many of them children like Chisomo.
On our first-ever Joni and Friends Wheels for the World™ outreach in Zambia, our team met Chisomo and his family. They are among the 1.4 million people living in dense slum conditions—with no running water, sanitation services or drainage—throughout the compounds of Lusaka.
“We give thanks for the life of Chisomo!” – Raphael
Helen and Raphael adore their son (and all of their three Children). As Christ followers, they know that Chisomo was made in God’s image, disability and all. As parents, they have done their best to help Chisomo thrive, socially, spiritually, and physically. Yet many days, the caregiving needs and financial pressures pile on, stifling as a summer heatwave.
Selling coal, tomatoes, and onions from a makeshift shop in front of their home, Helen supplements her husband’s income as best she can. But with no wheelchair to transport Chisomo, Helen’s opportunities have been scant. And when the family couldn’t afford food and diapers, buying a wheelchair for Chisomo was out of the question.
How can a wheelchair change a family’s life?
When Chisomo and his parents came to our Wheels for the World distribution, he received a custom-fitted pediatric wheelchair! As he got seated for the first time, his face lit up—and all his neighborhood friends joined into the excitement.
“We are so happy. Our prayer was to have a wheelchair for Chisomo,” says Raphael.
Because of his wheelchair, Chisomo can go outside to be with his friends. And his mother can sell goods at the market to better support the family. Life has also transformed within the family home. As Jamie, one of our physical therapists shared:
“We were able to do a follow-up visit to see how the family was able to use the wheelchair in the home, to see how he is able to sit up so tall. His neck control is wonderful as his eyes were gazing out at everything around him. He was relaxed and his smile kept glowing all day… And the wheelchair is adjustable, so it will serve Chisomo for years to come.”
Raphael sends deep thanks on behalf of his family to all who made it possible for Chisomo to receive a wheelchair.
“We really appreciate you, Joni and Friends, for this support. May God continue blessing you.”
What can you do to help children like Chisomo?
When you get involved with Joni and Friends by praying, volunteering, or donating to support disability ministry, you transform the lives of people with disabilities, at home and around the world.
Support Joni and Friends
Your donation provides a pediatric wheelchair to a child in need! Each wheelchair, hand-delivered along with a Bible and the hope of Jesus, changes lives, families, and communities now and for eternity.
