During June 2022, I went to Jinja, Uganda, with a team from the Through The Roof charity, on a "Wheels for the World" mission.
The team of physiotherapists, a nurse, wheelchair technicians, admin and a pastor gifted a number of wheelchairs, walking frames, crutches and other walking aids to local disabled people from Jinja.
The trip took 11 days, 4 of which when we were travelling to and from Jinja.
With one day as a rest day, we spent the other 6 days seeing clients and issuing equipment as necessary.
Over the 6 days of distribution we undertook :-
217 total consultations
Issued 116 chairs, 67 people given crutches, 12 walking sticks, 9 frames (including Zimmer and rolator), 6 wheeled walkers, 6 advice given only.
6 chairs were given to hospitals, along with a Zimmer frame and Rollator each, plus some crutches. These hospitals had no wheelchairs for moving patients.
Rest of chairs incomplete/ used for parts/ spares.
This was an extremely humbling, emotional and exhausting undertaking, but fantastic to see people gaining some mobility and freedom which was denied to them as there is no free provision of mobility aids in Uganda.
With these images I seek to show the plight of disabled people and the results of the team's efforts.
Through the Roof is a charity so all of the team members had to fund their own air fare, accommodation, transport and other expenses for the trip.
This was my second outing with the charity, having taken part in in one in June 2019 at Palorinya and Bidi Bidi refugee camps in Northern Uganda. I hope to take part in a return visit to the refugee camps in April 2023.
