Afrinspire

Kanyaruju Nathan, also known by his nickname ‘Cameleon’, is a man who moves by pulling himself along the floor using his arms and two metal blocks. But he is a master furniture maker. He writes and sings his own songs accompanied on his guitar which he made himself. He has a wife and six children. Other people help him in his workshop, which is in part of an old government building where he lives with other squatters. Cameleon is not just an example of someone who has overcome his disability but he is an inspiration with his well known sense of humour and his Christian faith which he expresses through his songs. Unfortunately Cameleon was unable to stop some thieves stealing his timber and so needs to negotiate jobs with part payment in advance to buy the materials. He and his family live a day at a time. The help which Cameleon is looking for is to keep him functioning as a small entrepreneur.

The Foundation of People With Disabilities has a case file of hundreds of people of all ages all over rural south-west Uganda who have similar disabilities. FPD discover the disabled who are kept out of sight in back rooms, people who can’t go out, who are not understood or regarded as useless because of their disability. But the advocacy and education theme of FPD is ‘disability does not mean inability’. They are professionals, with disabilities themselves, who understand the social issues and changes needed in attitudes both in society as a whole and for the individuals concerned who often suffer from low self esteem.

There are many people with birth defects which go untreated (no National Health Service in Africa), past sufferers of polio, victims of road accidents, amputees, those with short limbs, club feet, hunch backs and spinal defects.

FPD has a workshop for making orthopaedic shoes, artificial legs and sturdy African wheelchairs (UK wheelchairs are only any use indoors as there are no pavements and virtually no tarmac in Africa). Shoes cost between 30,000 and 50,000 Uganda Shillings (£12 to £17), artificial legs cost 65,000 to 120,000 Ug Sh (£24 to £42), tri-cycle wheelchairs cost 500,000 Ug Sh (£180) and ordinary wheelchairs 250,000 Ug Sh (£90). Afrinspire through FPD is supporting individuals who need these kind of aids to transform their lives. FPD also provide revolving loans to Income Generating Groups in order to encourage self-employment of disabled people. They have groups for the physically handicapped, deaf, blind, epileptics, women with disabilities and people with mental health problems. In Uganda it is possible to begin self-employment or a small enterprise with as little as £25. This is one of Afrinspires particular interests as it creates livelihoods, reduces poverty by employment and also builds the economic base of the country.