An independent life on three wheels

Spare parts for wheelchairs for people with disabilities in Burkina Faso

The Paralympics gold medallist from Burkina Faso, Edouard Ouedrago, was once asked in an interview what life was like with no legs. “Think about it this way,” the wheelchair-bound athlete had replied, “some people have no heart! That is a lot worse.” For almost 20 years Edouard and his wheelchair workshop based in Ouagadougou has been getting people with disabilities up and running again. Here, people suffering from physical handicaps can apply for a three-wheeled wheelchair or repair their own wheelchairs for a small fee. The tricycles are built very sturdily and are driven using a hand crank, and they easily maneuver over uneven ground and sandy roads.

Background

Burkina Faso does not have a comprehensive system of healthcare or health insurance. The physically handicapped often have to get through their daily lives without mobility equipment and medical care. According to the WHO, 2.5 million people in Burkina Faso are living with some kind of disability. Almost half of these are unemployed and over 70 per cent of children with a disability have no access to education. This makes it hard for them to live an independent and self-determined life.

The good deed

In the wheelchair workshop, people with disabilities can apply for a wheelchair and they have the opportunity to maintain and repair their wheelchairs with professional help. A mobile workshop will also go out to remote villages and perform repairs there. This good deed will allow the purchase of a variety of spare parts for repairing the wheelchairs: spokes, brake pads, hand pedals, cogs, inner tubes, chains and tyres.