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Peru Through The Eyes of Youth

This story was written by Laura Perkowski, the 24 year old daughter of Princeton Alum Ron Perkowski.

Princeton Alumni w/ their children at 15K feet.

“Our first full day was on Sunday, normally the day of rest. We, instead, boarded a bus at 6 AM to catch the train at 8 AM, where we rode in luxury to La Oroya. Any record of this trip would be completely inaccurate without mention of this train, where we spent two days riding, adapting, conversing, and looking at the most amazing landscapes. In our first 24 hours, the 2nd Gen had already had experiences and seen sights that most people will never get to have or see.

“We went from 0 to 15,681 feet in one day by train, got to ride the locomotive (on the front!), were served gourmet food at high altitudes, sucked on coca leaves, and got to see wild flamingos and herds of alpacas (All of our thanks to Mr. Henry Posner ‘77 and the F.C.C.A., who arranged for us take a train out of schedule and for taking care of us and our altitude sickness).

On the train headed to 15,000 feet. Photo Courtesy of John Merrill ‘77/MerrillImages.com

“The distributions were just as breathtaking as the views on the train, but for entirely different reasons. While we were riding in luxury on the train, and even the bus, we were distributing wheelchairs and toys in places that are among the poorest and most polluted in the world, not to mention at the highest altitude! We were not below 10,000 feet for a few days. Every distribution was different, with a different venue organization, different welcoming posters and flags, and different welcoming gifts. In La Oroya, a giant poster of Señor David Behring, along with 25 wheelchairs that needed assembling, welcomed us. We were late, but that did not halt the excitement shown by the people of La Oroya, who desperately needed their mobility. This is also where I became the official toy distributor of the trip, due to my ability to speak any Spanish and the fact that I was standing there already.

Kids With Recipient and Alum Ron Perkowski.

 
 
 
“The Sankey twins (Fiona and Simon, aged 11) were my helpers, while Kelly, Alex, Dan, and Christina helped set up and get people their wheelchairs. After the ceremony, where we received La Oroya hats and Señor David Behring received a felt tapestry, we traveled to our next stop, Tarma. Sadly, a few of us fell victim to the altitude along the way, including me, so while I am told there was a fantastic dinner and poker tournament, I went straight to sleep instead.

“If you have never given out wheelchairs above 10,000 feet, it is hard to explain just how exhausting this process was. We spent the second day giving out wheelchairs in Tarma and Cerro de Pasco, around 50 in total. While the amount was not great, the need was, and we were as tired as if we had done 100. It was very hard to keep up the physical labor, despite the age, so the young ones came in handy, particularly the two teenaged boys!

Laura Perkowski Assembling a Wheelchair. Photo Courtesy of John Merrill ‘77/MerrillImages.com

“In these two cities, due to the small amounts of wheelchairs, we gave out small things like bracelets and toy dinosaurs to the kids who came to the distributions, rather than just toys for the kids receiving a chair. It was great seeing the excitement on the kids’ faces. More ceremonies went on here, with more tapestries, hats, and certificates for Señor David Behring and us. Alex and Dan were in charge of the American flag during the flag ceremony in Tarma and did us all proud. We had fun listening to the speeches and seeing how much more we understood as we continued on. It was also interesting contrasting the speeches of Señor David Behring with Mr. Henry Posner’s… as the week wore on, Señor David Behring’s speeches got longer while Mr. Posner’s got shorter.

“Our last day in the Andes was spent in Huancayo, where we had spent the night in the Hotel Susan, an experience we will share and remember for many, many years. Huancayo was by far our biggest distribution, and probably my favorite, a feeling that I believe to be shared by most of us. We had about 100 wheelchairs to give out, but this time we had the local soldier unit helping us by doing the initial setup of the wheelchairs and lifting their neighbors and other recipients into their chairs. They also were very eager to learn how to set up the chairs, and took to it very quickly. The ceremony was also our favorite, despite the length. Señor David Behring, Mr. Posner, and Mr. Bill Farrell all were honored with bright yellow vests embroidered with flowers, and gave speeches, but by far the best thing that happened was that they dressed up Mr. Behring like a doll. As soon as we saw him given the vest, we called out the photographer, Mr. John Merrill, to get over there to take pictures. It only got better. He was given one of the traditional shawls that the women carried babies in, and one of their hats, along with four dolls. It was at this point that we gave up trying to call him anything but Señor David Behring, as our parents all found it hilarious.

Picture of Mr. David Behring dressed in the local attire. Photo Courtesy of John Merrill ‘77/MerrillImages.com

“The last few days went by very quickly after that. We took a long 8-hour bus ride back to Lima, somehow avoiding motion sickness from all of us, and settled in for two nights. Once more, I got sick, missing the Lima distributions at Hospital San Juan de Dios and La Molina, but there we were able to give needed neurological wheelchairs to children who had no hope of moving even with the regular chairs. The last few days were disappointing only in that no one dressed up our leaders like dolls again. The last distribution was in Huara, where Mr. Farrell’s wife, Marleny (our Secretary of State!) had quite a bit of family. We enjoyed a traditional folk dance and finished giving out the last of the 500 or so wheelchairs we had brought. We even gained another Princeton family as Jeremy, Ben, and Carolyn joined us and gave us extra help.

“In this one crazy week, we got to great heights, improved our Spanish, met all kinds of people, heard these inspiring stories about how their family and friends would carry these people who couldn’t walk, and how much this would help the daughter be able to go to school, or the mother who was pregnant again, ate some truly amazing food, stayed at very different hotels, saw every single town square, saw the oldest city in North America (Bandurias), created our own government, and heard about how these very serious men caught sharks and dressed up like priests. It definitely impacted each age group differently, as we had three middle-schoolers, three high-schoolers, and three post-college adults in the 2nd Gen group. For us oldest ones, this trip showed us how we might be in 30 years, and what an impact we could make. It certainly inspired us to push our own college classes to doing a community service project of some kind to correlate with our own reunions. Who knows? Maybe in 5 years, the Princeton Class of ’77 will be doing a joint trip with one of our classes. A lot will happen to us in five years, but one thing is for certain, if we are able to go on this trip again, we will be (yes, Dad, even without you). To the Princeton Class of ’77, thank you so much for allowing us to tag along and sharing your stories, and I sincerely hope that I will get to see you all again before the next trip.”

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Fundraising for Fiji

Eight-year-old Salamisa Vunilagi, Junior couldn’t stop smiling. He’s dreamed of one thing every day for as long as he can remember, and today, his dream finally came true.

Junior’s new wheelchair.

When Junior was an infant, he was diagnosed with meningitis, and the disease soon crippled him. Junior’s parents, Salamisa, Sr. and Vani Mainukulau, did everything they could, even trekking from their rural home to the nearest city of Labasa, in hopes of finding a cure for his paralyzed condition. They were broken-hearted to learn that nothing could be done. As each birthday passed, Junior remained completely dependent on his mother and father – while dreaming each day of independence. No longer a dream, Junior received a gift that changed the lives of the entire family – a new wheelchair.

This special delivery was made possible by the Wheelchair Foundation, along with the Rotary Club of Labasa, as part of the Vodafone “World of Difference” initiative undertaken by the ACATA Trust Fiji to provide assistance to the physically challenged. A total of 110 wheelchairs were presented to the Red Cross, the Spinal Injury Association, and other distribution partners over the course of 10 days, and one man in particular played a significant role in the success of this effort.

“This will give them mobility to move around and be productive and they do not have to depend on others. My message to them is to use the wheelchairs wisely.”
-Chetan Singh Heyer

Chetan (Chet) Singh Heyer is a native of Fiji, and his heart reaches out to the people living with disabilities in his homeland. During his visit to the country in 2010, Chet was alarmed by the overwhelming number of citizens in need of wheelchairs. He returned to the United States determined to make a difference in the lives of his island people, and became Founder and President of the fundraising project Fiji Wheelchairs.

Chet and his family aspired to bring the gift of mobility to their fellow Fijians, and with the help of the Wheelchair Foundation, the Singh Heyers were able to achieve their kind-hearted goal.

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Painting a Picture of Hope

George Sumner

George Sumner signing art posters.

World-renowned artist George Sumner is an environmental impressionist painter known for his marine life art and avid support of ecological causes. His vivid works have found their way into the collections of Muhammad Ali, Ted Turner and Mikhail Gorbachev.

George and his wife/manager, Donnalei, have raised tens of thousands of dollars for the Wheelchair Foundation through the sale of their art. A simple belief that the Sumners share is you can always make a difference; this has been the fuel in their work, life and love together.

It is also the philosophy that recently brought them to Cabo San Lucas – but not for vacation. The couple came to help the Wheelchair Foundation distribute wheelchairs in the poverty-stricken neighborhoods of Mexico that surround the tourist destination.

Several years ago, Cabo experienced a boom in development. Jobs in construction and service work became available to accommodate the rapid growth of large homes and resorts. Hundreds of families moved to the outskirts of town, seeking such opportunities. Economic and environmental factors, however, affected new development and as projects slowed or ceased, the labor needs declined, leaving thousands of people unemployed and unable to earn a living, let alone afford a wheelchair.

George Sumner

Donnalei Sumner (center) and family join the team.

Once outside the tourists areas of Cabo, the poverty is evident. The Sumners joined the wheelchair distribution team as they headed to the barrios where the disabled live in desperately poor conditions without any means of transportation. Here, a wheelchair is an unthought-of luxury.

An elderly woman and her family greeted them at their first stop and welcomed the group into their tiny, well-kept home. The significance of this moment was apparent to everyone. No longer isolated, a grandmother could finally watch her grandchildren play outside; at last, this woman could enjoy a social life that, despite her lack of worldly possessions, would bring a wealth of happiness for years to come.

The Sumners then had an idea to make the occasion even more special. Donnalei handed her husband a set of permanent artist pens with which he painted a beautiful marinescape on the side of the wheelchair.

Blue and green hues stood out vibrantly against the brilliant red, shining wheelchair. When George Sumner had completed his piece, the elderly woman’s face flooded with tears of joy so contagious, no one was immune. More tears were shed as the team said goodbye and set out for the next delivery.

A young girl and her social worker were eagerly awaiting their arrival at their second stop. The girl, now in her late teens, had been born with deformities affecting both of her legs and dreamt of having independence her entire life. The girl’s hair had been styled and her fingernails delicately painted in preparation for today.

“They received a wheelchair, but George and I were the ones who truly got the gift.”

-Donnalei Sumner
on the reward of giving

The incredible significance of this event, like the one before it, was felt by all who were there. After a seemingly endless round of hugs and laughter, the Sumners surprised the already-tearful recipient with a special contribution as George painted another magnificent ocean scene on part of the glistening new wheelchair in which the girl sat, smiling in the sun.

This trip was a life-changing experience, not only for the recipients and their families, but also for the Sumners, who will never forget the overwhelming love shared by so many people. The Wheelchair Foundation was thankful to have the Sumners’ incredible assistance on this distribution and we’re always thankful for the support we get from our donors. George Sumner’s online gallery can be found at www.Sumner-Studios.com.

Mobility is a fundamental human necessity, not a luxury. A wheelchair allows those with disabilities to become a part of society and opens up a world where education, employment, and a better quality of life are possible. Donate today and help the Wheelchair Foundation deliver Hope, Mobility and Independence to the thousands of men, women, and children who still desperately need it.

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Delivering Mobility in Ghana & Mali

Ghana celebrates International Day of People with Disability

December 3rd, 2011 – GHANA, WESTERN AFRICA

It was a long journey, but earlier this week I found myself in the city of Wa, Ghana, in western Africa. We traveled to Wa with our country partners, Ministerial Development and Relief Programme, to participate in Ghana’s celebration of the International Day of People with Disability.

We marched in a parade through the city with an array of people representing all sorts of disability, visual, physical, hearing impaired, etc. It was amazing, and certainly worth the effort to get there. There was only a single wheelchair in the parade, but it was one that had been donated years before by Wheelchair Foundation.

 

Rehabilitation Center in Ghana

December 7th, 2011 – KUMASI, GHANA

Wednesday we found ourselves in Kumasi, Ghana, where we visited a rehabilitation center for abandoned children and adults with disabilities. The center’s director talked with us about the challenges of social stigma in Ghana, and of how families would deliver children to the center and never return.

The center is totally supported through donations, and the 15 wheelchairs we presented to them will make a significant impact on those without mobility. Thanks again to Keegan Resources Inc., and African Gold Group for making this donation possible.

 

Salem Noshie and son, William Wonder

December 8th, 2011 – ACCRA, GHANA

Thursday, we witnessed the true power of modern technology in aid distribution. We presented a wheelchair to Salem Noshie, a woman living in Accra, Ghana, who had suffered a debilitating stroke nearly seven years earlier. She had contacted a woman, Janice, in the United States via the internet. Janice called me to ask if I could help, and I e-mailed her information to our partners on the ground in Accra. They contacted her son, William Wonder, and invited them to a distribution site in Accra.

I met Salem Noshie and William in person on Thursday afternoon. William handed me his mobile phone, and Janice was on the line in the United States and thanked me for helping her friend. It was at that point that I discovered that none of these people had ever met in person before, and the effort to assist Salem Noshie was all through e-mail, text, video chat and phone calls.

It was a great honor and pleasure to make this all come true for a very beautiful and deserving family who had been trying for years to obtain a simple wheelchair for a mother in need.

 

Women of Bamako

December 10th, 2011 – BAMAKO, MALI

On Saturday, we worked with partners AGEMPEM in Bamako, Mali, to distribute wheelchairs to individuals in need of mobility at the CVD Clinic of Mali. Among the many to receive wheelchairs were a group of four women, all of whom arrived on hands and knees and left with new red wheelchairs.

One participant commented, “By making these women mobile and happy, you have made all the women of Mali happy.”

 

Nouhoum Coulibaly and Gordon Holmes with recipients

December 11th, 2011 – SELINGUE, MALI

Sunday, we traveled to Selingue, southwest of Bamako, to distribute wheelchairs to people from surrounding villages. Here we again worked with partner AGEMPEM and members of African Gold Group, who had assisted in identifying recipients in the villages in remote areas where they work. Some recipients traveled 15 or more kilometers for the opportunity to receive their first wheelchairs.

Here, Nouhoum Coulibaly of AGG, and Gordon Holmes of Streetwise, Inc., work with recipients to ensure they understand the proper use of their new wheelchairs, and to hear their stories to better understand the plight of the disabled in rural Mali.

 

 

Disabled people of Bamako

December 11th, 2011 – BAMAKO, MALI

Sunday night, we returned to Bamako with AGEMPEM to continue our work. Interviewing those present, we learn that the cause of many of their disabilities remains a mystery. Some were victims of accidents, some water-borne disease, and some have no explanation.

When we inquire about the availability of mobility devices, most just shrug their shoulders. No money means no wheelchair, and one young man asked us to explain what a wheelchair was, because he had no idea.

 

 

A boy finally receives mobility

December 12th, 2011 – SANANKOROBA, MALI

“It never hurts to ask.”

Our final wheelchair distribution event in Mali occurred in Sanankoroba, south of the capital city of Bamako. We arrived to tribal drumming and women in colorful dress dancing in a wide circle.

As the women stomped in the sand and dust, a young man in a bright green soccer jersey, who was accompanied by his father, caught my eye. He seemed very focused on everything that was happening around him. He was aware of all of the dignitaries in attendance, the media, and the excitement of the crowd. I asked Isaac, the gentleman from AGEMPEM I was working with, what he knew about the boy. He spoke with the woman from the village, who was his primary contact, to get the child’s story.

As it turned out, the young man was a fixture in the village, one of the disabled who was always around. She told us that “He came by her school every day and asked her if she could help him in any way, maybe help him with his legs, which didn’t work.” She reached out to Isaac at about the same time Wheelchair Foundation contacted him about acting as consignee for our shipment of wheelchairs for Mali, nearly a year ago.

So, this day, after more than 12 months of asking at every opportunity, this young man finally got a wheelchair and no longer needs to crawl in the dirt, sand and dust. The evidence of his plight is shown in his face, his hands, knees and legs.

So many people from the village thanked us for delivering wheelchairs to their brothers and sisters that it made my head spin. They consider themselves too far off the map to ever receive aid, and yet we managed to reach them. The joy they shared with us and with one another at this wheelchair distribution was greater than the value of any material gift we could have been given.

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Wheelchair Foundation Named 2012 Charitable Organization of the Year

Each year, the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce facilitates four community awards: Business Person of the Year, Citizen of the Year, Educator of the Year, and Charitable Organization of the Year.

“Salutes and Salutations” was the theme for this year’s award ceremony, a casual affair with small plates and wine from 10 local eateries. The event at the Danville Community Center honored those who that have made a difference in the San Ramon Valley with proceeds from the ticket sales benefiting the Veterans Memorial Building.

Presented by the media organization, Danville Express, the Wheelchair Foundation received the 2012 award for Charitable Organization of the Year. With nearly 200 registered non-profits in the town of Danville, there is certainly no lack of competition. Candidates for the Charitable Organization of the Year Award are considered based on the following criteria:

• Chamber member that has been a 501(c)3 for at least five years
• Has made significant, consistent contributions to the San Ramon Valley, and a notable recent contribution
• Demonstrates leadership, thoroughness and integrity

The Wheelchair Foundation is proud to accept this award, with sincere thanks to the members of our community who nominated and chose us for this special title.

“Each of these award recipients represents the best of the best in Danville. They are truly what makes our community so wonderful,” said Shelby McNamara, president of the chamber.

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