New lease of life by a simple tricycle

FOR some, living with a disability and still having to cover a distance of well over two kilometres could be a daunting challenge.

Worse off if you are a girl, on crutches and the only physically challenged pupil not just in your class, but the entire school.

This is the life of 12-year-old Emmy Ng’ambi, a Grade 6 pupil at Choma’s Grace Muchangana Christian School.

Little Emmy’s disability is with her left foot. “I was born this way,” she says.

“I don’t know what condition it is, but I have been walking on clutches ever since I can remember,” says Emmy, who is Davies and Vivian Ng’ambi’s only child.

There are a lot of people with disabilities such as Emmy’s. She hopes to one day become a medical doctor.

On the flip side, there is also Frederick Muleya, a man living with a disability. Mr Muleya, in his forties, is married and has a daughter. 

He is confined to a wheelchair. 

But even then, he has not let his disability get the better of him.

Speaking relatively good English, Mr Muleya, who lives in Choma’s Kachacha township is a businessman who sells fish.

“I have a small business which helps me to support my family. I sell Kapenta and fish which I order from Siavonga,” he says.

Other than being disabled, one thing he shares in common with Emmy is that both have old and worn-out vessels that aide their movements.

That is why Emmy, who was in fact in her school uniform had to leave class and rush to the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities (ZAPD) office in Choma when she heard that there was an organisation that had come to donate 50 tricycles.

“My grandmother just told me to come here as quickly as possible,” she says. In the same manner, Mr Muleya too had to leave whatever he was doing and rushed to the centre. The two were not the only beneficiaries.

Neither were they the only ones there to witness the donation of the 50 tricycles worth over K82,000 by New Life Centre, a ministry of the United Methodist Church based in Kitwe on the Copperbelt.

Other people that came on old and worn-out wheelchairs were given the new vessels to aide their movements.

What’s even better is that they do not need to pay someone to be pushing them, as was the case for Mr Muleya, who always had to spare an extra money to pay someone to push him into town. “With this, at least I can move on my own,” he says.

What’s even better is that it has some kind of room for luggage. “In here, I can even be putting my things as I conduct my business without inconveniencing anyone,” he says.

However, Mr Muleya needs to keep his old wheelchair because he would need it when making trips to Siavonga where he orders his merchandise.

“The wheelchair can easily be put into a car, but with the tricycle, because of its size, it can’t,” he said.

Simply put, this one gift made the disabled mobile and independent.

The tricycles made with the help of a United States of America-based organisation – Good Will Foundation -were received by Southern Province permanent secretary Sibanze Simuchoba.

New Life Centre director Josephine Mbilishi said the donation is the church’s way of preaching the word of God and helping the needy in society.

“We believe this is the best to preach the word of God. We are the feet and hands of Jesus on earth and we must be seen to do his works. It is our belief the tricycles will make our brothers and sisters mobile and independent as they can now move freely,” Ms Mbilishi said.

Mr Simuchoba said Government is grateful to church organisations that supplement its efforts by addressing matters affecting citizens, especially the vulnerable and orphaned.

He said the church should work with the government of the day in helping the needy in society.

Mr Simuchoba said Government appreciates churches that physically help the needy and not those that encourage people to stop taking anti-retroviral drugs and other medicines.

“This is true help because it can be seen and touched. For me this is a true work of the church because it is an answered prayer to these people who were unable to move on their own,” he said.

Mr Simuchoba said prayer without physical assistance is incredulous for the church to continue preaching without physically helping the vulnerable and orphaned people in society.

Ruth Munkombwe is ZAPD provincial coordinator. She has called on other institutions to emulate the gesture by New Life Centre and help the disabled people in society.

“We have a lot of people with different disabilities. If only a lot more people could come on board and support us the same way these have, it would be nice,” she said.

What impressed her was how quickly Mrs Mbilisi responded to her plea. “It wasn’t even difficult. The whole thing (request) has taken about less than two weeks. We are really happy. These people are happy here too,” she said.