People living with disabilities in Muhanga District have received 50 wheelchairs from Handicap International to facilitate their movement.These are the first batch of the 120 wheelchairs set to be donated to the disabled across the district, according to officials. The other 70 will be donated to those living in rural areas, according to Hortense Umuhoza, the in-charge of community mobilisation at Handicap International-Rwanda.The initiative is spearheaded by Handicap International, Rwanda chapter, in collaboration with World Vision and Free Wheelchair Mission, an American organisation working to support people with disabilities. Umuhoza told The New Times that most people with disabilities do not have means to buy the wheelchairs, which she said increases stigma because they will have to depend on others to go about their chores. “We realised that some children were deprived of education opportunities because they don’t have means to get to school while adults couldn’t start small businesses just because they could not move beyond their houses,” Umuhoza said.One of teh beneficiaries, Jean Pierre Banamwana, a beneficiary, a 31-year-old disabled man runs a small retail business in a box – selling salt, soaps, match boxes, pastry products and other petty goods expressed his gratitude.“You can’t imagine how glad and happy I am to have this wheelchair! I thank God who directed the sponsors to me because I needed it. After I received this wheelchair a new chapter is opening in my life,” he said through his brother.
