Wheelchairs for Nigeria

Mission

Wheelchairs for Nigeria builds self-pedaled tricycles at their shop in Jos Nigeria and donates them to Nigerian children and adults crippled by polio, who otherwise spend their lives crawling on the ground. They also provide aids for the blind and deaf and advocate for the needs of the disabled.

Description

Nigeria has more polio than anywhere in the world. Tens of thousands of children and adults spend their lives crawling on the ground. Huge efforts are being made at polio eradication by the Gates Foundation, Rotary and others, but very little is being done for the survivors. Wheelchairs for Nigeria has its own shop in Jos, Nigeria with 46 employees, where they build a self-pedaled tricycle of bicycle parts, for $150 each. Over 37,000 wheelchairs have been built and donated in 28 of Nigeria's 36 states, far more than anyone else in the whole country of 220 million is doing for polio survivors. Wheelchairs are given freely to both Muslims and Christians, and have become a powerful peacemaking witness in a land torn by religious and ethnic violence. Over 3000 folding white canes have been given to blind students. The 300+ desperately hungry and neglected deaf students in a school for the deaf have been helped with food, electricity, bunk beds, computers and many other improvements.

Matching: Thanks to a generous supporter, all gifts will be matched up to $10,000!