Mission Partner: Through the Roof (Wheels for the World)
With the advent of Covid 19, teams have been unable to travel and carry out wheelchair distributions and work with our mission partners abroad. The need is still great and so Through the Roof came up with a different way - a supported distribution was born. The first one took place during February/March this year.
I was privileged to be part of the UK team of 6 therapists and 4 techies as we worked with our partners HHA (Hope, Health, Action) who work with refugees in Bidibidi refugee camp, Northern Uganda for people who have fled from war and persecution in Sudan and Congo.
A container of wheelchairs and mobility aids left the UK from our warehouse before Christmas and arrived in the camp in time for the work to start on 1 February. Our partners had the experience of working with WftW in 2019 when we lead a distribution in Bidibidi. We worked 2 days a week in two shifts each day. Teams of one therapist and one techie covered each shift on a rota basis over the 7 week period using WhatsApp to communicate with the team in Uganda. The Ugandan team on the ground had undergone some training using material compiled by WHO on wheelchair assessment and work with people with disabilities and some medical experience.
Prior to the distribution, they had done pre-assessments of all the clients. Communication was at times a challenge due to problems with the internet in Uganda, and video conferencing was great, when it worked, as we always started and finished sessions by joining with the team on the ground in prayer. Otherwise a large part of the work was done using photos and messaging on WhatsApp.
Pastoral work on the ground was done by local pastors and church members and they did an amazing job. And all the people seen were given a Bible in their own language.
The team who worked to fit the chairs and help the local people also worked incredibly hard. Our advice and support was given as it was needed and it was lovely to see how, over time, the local team grew in confidence and knowledge. Their love and commitment to the people and the work they were doing, sometimes in temperatures of nearly 40 degrees, was humbling, showing Christ's love in action in a special way.
About 140 wheelchairs were given out and a large number of other mobility aids. As a team we were involved with over 200 people and the Ugandan team will have seen even more. Over 200 people heard the gospel and 23 people gave their lives to Jesus. Further supported distributions are planned, the first one in August 2021, using the lessons learnt and the success of this one as a model.
Gunn Fenn
Please pray for the continued work of Wheels for the World and the success of future distributions. If you would like to sponsor a wheelchair to support the next distribution please contact Karen Goodridge on k.goodridge@btinternet.com.