Post a comment 
With support from Trocaire through the Empowering Youths and Women with Disability for Independent and Sustainable Living (TEC-VOC) Project, the Welfare Society for the Disabled Sierra Leone (WESOFOD-SL) in Pujehun District has donated a brand-new mobility cart to Mr. Lahai Nyandewa of Bengani Village, Mano Sakrim Chiefdom.
The donation forms part of ongoing efforts to improve the lives of persons living with disabilities and promote inclusion and independence within communities across the district.
Mr. Nyandewa, who was born with a physical disability, revealed that he has spent over 30 years crawling on the ground due to the absence of an assistive mobility device.
He explained that although he earns a living as a blacksmith, his mobility challenges have severely affected his ability to move independently and access his workplace.
“I have been crawling on the ground all my life. Moving from one place to another has been very difficult, and it has affected my ability to work effectively,” he said.
Nyandewa said he first learned about WESOFOD-SL through local radio announcements and information shared by his mother. However, due to his remote riverine location far from Pujehun Town, he initially found it difficult to access the organisation’s office.
Despite these challenges, he said he managed to save money from his blacksmithing work to travel to the WESOFOD-SL office at the Village of Hope, where he was warmly received by staff.
He described the donation as a life-changing moment, noting that he had never imagined owning a mobility cart.
“I never thought I would own a mobility cart. Before today, I had never even seen one closely. This came as a complete surprise to me,” he said, expressing emotion during the presentation.
He added that the mobility cart would greatly improve his quality of life by enhancing mobility, preserving dignity, improving hygiene, and increasing respect within his community.
“For more than 30 years, I have been crawling on the ground. Today, WESOFOD-SL has helped me stop that. This support has restored my dignity and given me hope,” he added.
Nyandewa also appealed for expanded outreach to remote communities, noting that many persons with disabilities in riverine areas face even greater hardship and are unable to access support services in town.
“There are many others in remote communities whose situations may be worse than mine. I appeal for continued outreach so they can also benefit,” he said.
Speaking during the presentation, WESOFOD-SL Pujehun District Coordinator, Mohamed Sillah, said the gesture reflects the organisation’s continued commitment to supporting persons with disabilities.
He noted that the provision of assistive devices is part of ongoing interventions aimed at restoring dignity and improving livelihoods.
“This is not the first time WESOFOD-SL has supported persons with disabilities, and it will not be the last. We are here to serve them and ensure they live with dignity,” he stated.
He also encouraged unregistered persons with disabilities in the district to enroll with the organisation in order to benefit from future support programmes.
The intervention underscores WESOFOD-SL’s continued work, with support from Trocaire, to promote inclusion, independence, and sustainable livelihoods for persons with disabilities in Pujehun District.
