In June of 2000, philanthropist Ken Behring established the Wheelchair Foundation to deliver wheelchairs to people without mobility worldwide.
Well over 100,000 wheelchairs have been delivered to more than 100 countries, and Rotary Clubs and Districts have become an integral part of this distribution effort. Since March of 2001, Rotarians have sponsored the delivery of over 50,000 wheelchairs to more than 50 countries.
Children can now go to school, adults can work and provide for their families, and the elderly can once again be a part of society.
The Rotary Club of Gosford West helped to establish Wheelchair Foundation Australia as their international service project, to provide free wheelchairs to disabled people in the Australian and Western Pacific regions.
In February of 2003, Gosford West President Tony Mylan and members Harry Melkonian, Graham Allen, Lyall Hood, Mary Hood, and Donald Sullens traveled to Papua New Guinea for the distribution of 240 wheelchairs that were delivered to Port Moresby by sea container, directly from the factory in China. Over a 5 day period, the Gosford West Rotarians participated in wheelchair distributions in Port Moresby, Gaire, and Wewak.
From the early years of the 20th century, Papua New Guinea had been administered by Australia up until its independence in 1975. During World War II, Australians bravely liberated the country from hostile occupation, and in doing so, found great allies in the indigenous people. Stories told since the 1940’s recant the support and friendship that Australian troops received from the New Guinea people. It is this same support and friendship that Australian Rotarians have been giving back to the citizens of Papua New Guinea for many years.
David Conn is a member of the Rotary Club of Boroko, PNG and an official of the Friends of the Disabled Association in Port Moresby. The Boroko club has been very involved for many years in distributing aid to the disabled of Papua New Guinea and served as the Wheelchair Foundation Australia’s Non-governmental organization (NGO), able to import and properly distribute the wheelchairs to the people in need. The Rotary Club of Boroko is now the Wheelchair Foundation’s official NGO for Papua New Guinea.
The wheelchairs being delivered in 5 sizes are designed to be easily usable and maintainable in developing countries. This type of folding wheelchair would normally sell for about $600.00 AUD in Australia. But for a donation of only $120.00 AUD, we can deliver a wheelchair to a person in need, because of the matching program available from the international headquarters of the Wheelchair Foundation. These wheelchairs are delivered by 280-wheelchair containers, directly to our distribution partners in the country of destination.
These tangible, life changing wheelchairs get directly to the people who need them.
As Rotarians, civic leaders and professionals we have the ability to immediately improve the lives of disabled people, and to participate in an international service project that has succeeded far beyond anyone’s expectations.