Disabled people to benefit from 3 300 donated devices

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints recently donated a variety of assistive devices worth R5.4 million to the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health that will be distributed in the province over a three-year period.

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health said the much-needed donation will benefit more than 3 300 people.
The department said the donated items include 900 wheelchairs, 900 mobility devices, the training of 32 occupational therapists to correctly fit patients to devices, and the rollout of three wheelchair repair workshops in rural areas.

It added that the wheelchair beneficiaries will no longer have to travel long distances or be forced to use broken devices, which may pose a danger to them.

Sibongiseni Msane, who leads the SADEC region of the global church, said: “We see ourselves as the hands and feet of the Lord Jesus Christ. Wherever we identify a humanitarian aid required, we try by all means to assist. Today we are joining hands with the KZN Department of Health to assist in identifying all heavenly Sons and Daughters with disability devices such as wheelchairs, walking sticks, white sticks for the blind, for them to be able to move around doing their daily chores, assisting them to better their lives and enabling them to find new or expand opportunities to prosper in their lives.”

Msane added that the church has been partnering with the KZN Department of Health since 2011, saying that the agreement was renewed in 2019 due to the effectiveness of the programme.

One of the beneficiaries, Alzinah Zulu, said: “I was sick and had to be wheelchair-bound at the age of 7 years. At some point in my life I was pushed in an old wheelbarrow even to school. I had to rewrite my matric because I once failed when I could not reach the exam centre during examination time. The wheelbarrow that I was pushed in broke on my way to school. I have endured different wheelchairs in my life at different ages. Through the donation from the church, I made an application and therapists came to do measurements and interviewed me to ascertain my life, as well as the areas that I need to reach, at home and at work. The wheelchair I now have is perfect for my movement at home and at work.” Zulu testified.
Receiving the donation on behalf of the KZN MEC for Health, Nomagugu Simelane, Acting Deputy Director General Penny Msimang said the donation will go a long way to assist needy members of society.

“We have a list of disabled persons waiting for different assistive devices, which the department might have taken a long time to assist. But through this donation, a huge portion on that list will be covered. Notably, such assistive devices will assist mainly disabled women who still bear the responsibility of moving around as mothers. Some beneficiaries are working and this will assist them in moving easily, especially since these are specialised devices and are measured accordingly, to fit the needs of the beneficiary,” said Msimang.

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