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The Old Wheelchair – From Mercy Ships New Steps, Sierra Leone

On a recent trip to the villages of Bo and Kenema in the interior of Sierra Leone, Myriam Zingale of Mercy Ships New Steps went with Handicap International to distribute some of the donation of wheelchairs MSNS received from ‘The Wheelchair Foundation’. They encountered a few difficulties on the way with chairs escaping from the roof, as they were jolted over the bumpy roads.

As they stopped in the villages and the towns they created quite a stir in the communities as the named people came forward to receive their new wheelchairs. In the case of replacing worn out wheel chairs Myriam was careful to ask to see the old wheelchair. Often people try to get a new wheelchair when the old one has a slight repair made to it and there are so many in need it is important to distribute the chairs wisely to those who have the deepest needs.

The elderly man who was the owner of this chair was carried down the hill from the displaced persons camp in which he is living between Bo and Kenema. When his old wheelchair was produced there was no doubt that he qualified for a replacement.

The look of hope for the future on his face was worth all of the effort to get the wheelchairs there. He thanked his God and asked for blessings for us, the people that had given him back his life.

We never thought the rewards could be this great.

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A Letter From The Heart – Shanghai, China

During a recent wheelchair distribution in Shanghai, Wheelchair Foundation founder Ken Behring was approached by a young woman that had previously received a donated wheelchair. She was very happy to be able to personally thank the man responsible for her gift of a new life.

In the event that she was not able to meet Mr. Behring, she had prepared a letter in English to thank him for her wheelchair.

The letter reads:

Dear Sir/Madam,

Every time I sit in this wheelchair, I hope I can say “THANK YOU” face to face, though I don’t know your name.

This wheelchair is comfortable and helpful. When I go to the hospital I use it. When I go shopping I use it. When I am out for dinner I use it. When I go in the rain for a walk I use it. It is the best friend of mine now.

I hope I can see more of the world with this beautiful wheelchair. I hope I can do something for other handicapped people of the world. I hope I can be an interpreter for the Olympic Games in 2007.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Ye Donghua

March 26, 2002

She was able to read the letter to Mr. Behring and thank him for the gift that brought her Hope, Freedom and Mobility.

In a joint effort with the China Disabled Persons Federation, the Wheelchair Foundation will continue to deliver wheelchairs to Chinese citizens without the ability to afford one.

The ambitious goal of the Wheelchair Foundation is to deliver 1 million wheelchairs in the next 5 years. A wheelchair will allow children, teens and adults to go to school, work, worship services, or just outside with their families for the first time in years, or maybe ever. What is mobility worth to you? Please make a donation in the name of someone special in your life today.

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The Gift of Mobility 2002

The Cal Poly Chapter of the Wheelchair Foundation in an effort to raise money to purchase wheelchairs for the disabled of Peru, invite you to attend the First Annual Gift of Mobility 2002.

The champagne brunch and silent auction will run from 9:30 till noon at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center.

After the conclusion of brunch, participants will depart Cal Poly for a delightful tour of two Paso Robles wineries via charter buses. The tour will take place from 12:30 until 4:00 with the return to Cal Poly, fulfilled and satisfied knowing that your contributions are providing mobility to the people of Peru.

To participate in The Gift of Mobility 2002, please contact the Cal Poly Chapter at (805) 756-2010.

We look forward to seeing you there.

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Angola – The Most Disabled People on Earth Get Help

The Rotary Club of Los Angeles has matched ChevronTexaco’s sponsorship of 240 wheelchairs, which is then being matched by the Wheelchair Foundation to deliver the first 960 of 1,920 wheelchairs to Angola. Other Rotary Clubs will match the balance of the ChevronTexaco donation.

Located on the Atlantic Coast of Southern Africa, Angola has been plagued by civil war ever since its independence from Portuguese colonialism in 1975. The warring factions have brought about as many as 1.5 million deaths and the United Nations estimates that there are currently 2.7 million Angolan refugees. The average Angolan has a life expectancy of only 38.5 years.

From the standpoint of disability, the situation is equally dire. Millions of landmines lurk beneath the country’s soil, killing and maiming thousands of Angolans per year. A 1995 UN study estimated there were 70,000 amputees in Angola and, with 4,000 to 6,000 new victims per year, the number is steadily rising. It is these statistics that bring Angola the chilling distinction of having the world’s most disabled population. It is estimated that 20% of the 12 million people of Angola are disabled.

The Wheelchair Foundation thanks ChevronTexaco USA and Angola for sponsoring the shipment of wheelchairs to Angola. In June of 2001, the Wheelchair Foundation team was welcomed to Luanda, Angola by ChevronTexaco and First Lady Ana Paula dos Santos for our first distribution. Mrs. dos Santos and her Liwini Foundation participated in the distribution of wheelchairs and witnessed firsthand the delivery of hope and mobility to people that once only knew despair.

Liwini and Mrs. dos Santos were most prominently featured in the public spotlight when Princess Diana visited Angola in 1997 to raise awareness of the devastation caused by land mines.

John D. Gass, Managing Director of Chevron in Luanda said, “What I saw was tremendous gratitude and disbelief that they were receiving a wheelchair.” Gass continued, “We want to give something back and be a positive force of change in the communities where we operate. These 240 wheelchairs only scratch the surface here in Angola, and we will have to do more.”

Because of the success of the first 240-wheelchair distribution, ChevronTexaco generously offered to sponsor more wheelchairs to Angola, and the dedicated efforts of Rotarians have provided a match for that donation, and the Wheelchair Foundation is matching both.

Although the fighting has slowed down in recent months, Angola is still listed as one of the world’s most dangerous places to visit. It is by the dedicated efforts of ChevronTexaco and Liwini that the Wheelchair Foundation is able to continue our global mission of changing lives for the better every day. Upon receiving a wheelchair, children, teens and adults are now able to go to school, work, attend worship services or just go outside for the first time in many years or for the first time in their lives.

Thank you to ChevronTexaco and Rotarians worldwide for helping us save lives, one wheelchair at a time.

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Wheelchair Relief Mission To South And Central America

A mission of Hope, Mobility and Freedom will depart from the San Francisco Bay Area on January 13th. Ken Behring and the Wheelchair Foundation team will be joined by representatives from LDS Charities to meet the First Ladies of Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay and Costa Rica, and deliver the first of 480 wheelchairs to each country co-sponsored by LDS Charities.

“I am just touched to the core of my soul to be able to participate in the distribution of wheelchairs,” said Garry Flake, Director of Humanitarian Services for LDS Charities.

As a valued partner in our mission of changing the lives of disabled children, teens and adults worldwide, LDS Charities has stepped forward and offered a new life to thousands of people and their families, by joining the global Wheelchair Foundation effort.

The Wheelchair Foundation wishes to thank LDS Charities for their generosity, and commitment to the disabled worldwide.

Over 100 million people in the world are in need of a wheelchair but cannot afford one. For only $75.00, a wheelchair can change the life of a person and their entire family. What is mobility worth to you? Please donate online, or call toll free (877) 378-3839.

Thank you.

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