Rotarians manufacture wheelchairs, improve primary learning

Katalemwa Cheshire Home, a rehabilitation centre for youth, children and lately adults, with disabilities, has asked the government for funding to scale up the manufacture of assistive devices for people with disabilities.

While commissioning the aluminium wheelchair factory last week, Ms Samalie Matovu, the executive director, said the government should fund the centre because what started as a centre to help children born with disabilities, has grown into a training institution that manufactures assistive devices for the needy Ugandans.

“We offer training, and treatment, and also make wheelchairs. Without the Rotary Club of Muyenga, we would not have done much but now we are able to make wheelchairs for all people, including adults. We get orders from different institutions depending on the disability, so that they are comfortable,” she said.

Ms Matovu said the assistive incentives are expensive to import.

Ms Ruth Kijjambu, the president Rotary Club of Muyenga, said in 1970, a group of doctors established the Katalemwa Cheshire Home to help rehabilitate children born with disabilities.

She said they picked interest in 2015, and conceived the idea of manufacturing wheelchairs using steel when one of their club members visited Canada, and found a factory manufacturing aluminium wheelchairs, which are lighter and more user-friendly.

They partnered with the Rotary Club of Burlington and applied for a global grant of $130,000 (Shs480m) from the Rotary Foundation with which they purchased equipment for making the wheelchairs.

Mr Peace Taremwa, the Rotary District 9214 Governor, who commissioned the factory, said these are the type of projects that Rotarians should support.

He explained that besides the expertise and technology transfer, the project has brought affordable wheelchairs and created employment.

“I thank everybody who has contributed to the Rotary Foundation. This shows the difference the One-Dollar contribution to the Rotary Foundation is making. Thank you for bringing several things to this community which is revolutionising,” he said.

In a related development, Rotary Clubs have been asked to engage teachers and learners in Universal Primary Education schools within their communities, to improve numeracy and literacy.

While launching the Rotary Club of Upper Kololo Basic Education Literacy and Literacy enhancement Project at St Peters Primary School Nsambya on Friday, Mr Mike Sebalu, the Rotary District 9213 governor, said clubs should engage schools through providing readers, engaging teachers and ensuring hygiene and sanitation.

“Rotary has clubs in the whole of Uganda, in Gulu, West Nile, Eastern Uganda and Western Uganda and each club has schools it is working with. The Rotary clubs of Bweyogerere and Namboole are working with 20 schools. I was in Kabarole over the weekend, they are working with 10 schools,” he said.

Mr Ronald Oine, the president of Rotary Club of Upper Kololo, said illiteracy hinders their efforts to fight poverty.

They donated 494 mathematical sets to St Peters Nsambya Primary Seven candidates, reading materials and a 10,000 litre water tank.

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