fbpx
DONATE NOW

Posts

,

Wheelchairs for Fiji

In August of 2013, Wheelchair Foundation shipped 110 wheelchairs to Fiji. Below are excerpts  borrowed from the Fiji Sun.com news articles which you can read in their entirety here and here.

Receiving 18 of the 110 delivered wheelchairs, the president of the Rotary Club of Fiji, Adrain Hughes, said wheelchairs were one of the most resourceful elements in the lives of the disabled in our communities.  “We are very thankful for the supportive assistance by Vodafone ATH Foundation, and the Ministry of Health, who assisted in bringing the wheelchairs into the country duty free. One thing that is very evident is that people are working in a collaborative effort to assist one another and mainly the people in need.” The hand-over of the wheelchairs was held at Albert Park, in Suva.

Rotary-club

Rotary club president, Andrew Hughes (third left) with members of the “Wheelchair Foundation” of the US after the wheelchair donation at the Vodafone Hibiscus Festival 2013’s main stage at Albert Park in Suva. Photo Courtousy of the Fiji Sun and PAULINI RATULAILAI.

Vodafone ATH executive Ambalika Devi said they continuously work towards supporting the disabled and needy people of the community. Wheelchairs were given to the Kidney Foundation of Fiji, the Father Law Home, the Old People’s Home, and others after an assessment was done.  Kidney Foundation Fiji received two. Its president, Diwan Chand Maharaj, welcomed the support coming in for the disabled.

The Savusavu Rotary Club, the Labasa Rotary Club, and the Labasa Lions Club were among the recipients this week.  Chetan Singh Heyer, a former resident of Ba, now residing in the USA, is deeply involved with the fundraising arm of Wheelchair Foundation.  Action for Children and the Aged (ACATA) executive director and Vodafone World of Difference candidate, Rosan Lal, said that there was a huge demand for wheelchairs in Fiji.  The chairs will serve as a tool for the disabled to enjoy life and get around.
“It provides an opportunity for a person to be more productive and even make a living,” says Mr Lal.

/by
, ,

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.

/by