Wheelchair drive mobilises youth

This brings the total number of wheelchairs presented to deserving youngsters by the two organisations over the past 10 years to more than 3800 with a value of more than R7,2 million.

The initiative is a longstanding partnership in which an equal percentage of the profit on every Vodacom cellphone sold at all Game stores is donated to the wheelchair fund. This is topped up regularly from Game's social investment budget, which is allocated to uplifting and empowering those in need in communities served by their stores, with a special focus on children.

A third partner in the initiative, the National Council for Persons with Physical Disabilities in South Africa, identifies the recipients - children with the greatest need for a wheelchair - with the input of its provincial offices around the country.

Priority is given to schoolchildren in disadvantaged communities, particularly those who are unable to go to school or who find attending school difficult without a wheelchair.

"Our aim is to ensure that no child is denied an education because he or she does not have a wheelchair or cannot be transported to school," said Johan Viljoen, national director of the Council.

"Some of the children we select are attending school but find it hard moving from class to class. Without an assistive device they have no choice but to crawl or scrape along on ordinary chairs. The day they receive their own wheelchair, they become mobile and their life changes. This means they can focus their energy on studying and spending time with their friends outside the classroom during break times."

All of the wheelchairs are folding models approved by the SABS and custom-made to suit the individual needs of each child, according to specifications provided by their therapists. As a result, they provide far more support for the children than a standard wheelchair, allowing them more freedom of movement and helping prevent further deterioration in their posture.

The manufacturers also take into account the conditions where the children live, which is particularly important in rural areas where the ground is uneven.

The National Council for Persons with Physical Disabilities in South Africa provides a number of services for disabled people throughout the country, enabling them to achieve as much independence as possible and helping them to integrate fully with the communities in which they live.