BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – IN keeping with their pledge “Service above Self”, the Rotary Club of Liamuiga (RCL) teamed with the Rotary Club of Felicity/Charleville (RCFC) to donate wheelchairs to 10 of the Federation’s disabled.
The handing over occurred on Saturday (May 23) at the Newtown Community Centre in the presence of members from both clubs. A similar ceremony is expected to take place on Nevis.
The wheelchair recipients were observed touching their new machines in awe and expressing their gratitude for the generous gift to Rotary members. According to RCFC President Gayapersaud Beharry, his Trinidad-based club decided to undertake a project of regional scope instead of the usual community-wide programmes.
Giving an insight into how the process was executed, Beharry said, “Through a partnership with the International Wheelchair Foundation, the machines were available at a reduced price. The Rotary Club of Foresight, Georgia was our major international sponsor, and through the generosity of other donors we were able to buy the wheelchairs from the Foundation.”
Beharry noted that the club’s overall goal was to distribute 1 400 wheelchairs to the needy, disabled and senior citizens within the region, of which 560 have already been given out.
“So far, we have handed over wheelchairs in Antigua and Barbuda, St. Lucia, Guyana, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. The total cost of the project is $US120 000, so we have been very fortunate to receive the financial support that we did,” he said.
The donation comes at an opportune time, as the Federation is currently celebrating Disability Awareness Month. Various activities have been held to raise consciousness of the plight of disabled persons, including a panel discussion, school visits and a social event.
President of the St. Kitts-Nevis Association for Persons living with Disabilities (SKNAPD), Anthony Mills praised the Rotary Clubs for their “kindness”, stating that if more persons were as considerate, disabled persons within the Federation would be “much better off”.
“The donation really could not have come at a better time. It’s estimated that there are 100 million persons worldwide who need wheelchairs and can’t afford them. When someone needs a chair, their mobility is not just comprised; it literally shuts down. Rotary must be commended for their contribution and I hope this is an impetus for more persons donating to the cause,” Mills stressed.
