HAITI :: Shifting the paradigm from immobility to mobility

TRTP President, Kathy, showing off one of our ATWs

Independence is a precious gift, especially to people with disabilities. 

Each time The Red Thread Promise gives an All Terrain Wheelchair (ATW) to an impoverished child, teen or adult in Haiti, we shift the paradigm from immobility toward mobility. Through these gifts—gifts that you have made possible—lives are being changed. 

In the US and other countries, many resources are available for people who can't walk:

• quality medical care and treatment
• insurance policies and governmental programs to offset costs 
• readily available manual wheelchairs
• wheelchair-accessible vehicles and public transportation
• facilities with wide doors, railings, ramps and elevators
• solid infrastructure with smooth streets and sidewalks 

These opportunities give a wheelchair-bound person the chance to actively engage in life, moving about in their homes, schools and communities.

The scenario is quite different for a person under the same circumstances in a developing country like Haiti:

• limited quality medical care is extremely costly with no subsidy 
• lack of infrastructure—dirt roads, sand, rocky surfaces—makes passage in a standard wheelchair nearly impossible
• wheelchairs that perform well on rough terrain are financially out of reach for most Haitians, often costing upwards of 6 years wages* 

But there is hope! 

We are committed to raising the funds for another full container of wheelchairs that will change more lives. Each shipment holds 100 - 120 ATWs plus maintenance parts. These durable wheelchairs are made from inexpensive bicycle parts that keep the cost low—$350 each—and simplify upkeep and maintenance. They are specifically designed to pass over Haiti's rough terrain, giving independence that most recipients have never experienced.

With your support, we will fill this container and continue giving the gift of mobility to those in need. Donations can be made through our website. Thank you!

*The gross national income per capita in Haiti is US$660. Source: World Bank 2010

ATW PROGRAM: Empowering People With Disabilities

Diana in her child-size wheelchair

Recently, we were approached by GOOD Magazine to be featured in their publication dedicated to mobility issues. The article below about our International Mobility Program—providing all terrain wheelchairs to people in need—just hit the internet today. We'd really appreciate it if you followed this link to our article on GOOD and clicked "IT'S GOOD" at the bottom of the page. Thanks, GOOD Magazine!


How Our All Terrain Wheelchairs Are Empowering People With Disabilities

Robert was an accomplished welder and farmer in Gramothe, Haiti before 2010. He is married and has two sons, one of which hopes to become an engineer. However, Robert has a progressive condition that is causing him to lose the ability to use his legs. He has been immobile for quite some time and the doctor has not given him a prognosis.

Robert

In Haiti, the streets are uneven and bumpy, rendering “hospital-style” wheelchairs virtually useless. In the mountains, where Robert and the majority of Haitians live, dirt roads and rocky footpaths are common. However, The Red Thread Promise makes it possible for people like Robert to become more independent by providing them with all terrain wheelchairs through our International Mobility Program (IMP). In fact, Robert is hopeful to return to welding since receiving his new wheelchair.

The Haitian mountains

Streets of Port-au-Prince

During our first trip to Haiti in 2009, we had no intention of starting IMP. But when we observed that hospital-style wheelchairs were not meeting the needs of those using them, it compelled us to seek out the best all terrain wheelchairs available. We worked directly with a manufacturer to keep costs low while providing quality chairs specifically designed and built to traverse rugged terrain. Our chairs feature strong frames, flexible suspension, and wide front wheels especially for sand, rock and uneven surfaces.

In June 2011, we delivered a full shipment of 100 wheelchairs to St. Vincent’s Center for Handicapped Children in Port-au-Prince. Our team worked directly with the center to identify candidates for distribution, assemble the chairs, and provide maintenance training to our Haitian partners. Now, The Red Thread Promise is working to bring mobility to 100 additional people in and around Port-au-Prince as well as local businesses and hotels that are not accessible.

Our all terrain wheelchairs at the distribution point

These gifts of mobility give people with disabilities (PWDs) more opportunities to fully engage in life. They promote better self and family care, and help recipients actively participate in educational and economic opportunities. Children can attend school with their peers, acquiring life skills that help them become independent adults. Teens and adults are better able to engage in meaningful work, providing financial stability to their families. Independence increases each individual’s sense of self-worth and self-respect in their home countries.

Yolene, all smiles

Ultimately, our goal is to bring communities together, where everyone is viewed with dignity. We not only provide wheelchairs for individuals in need, but also model respectful and inclusive behavior toward people with disabilities. The Red Thread Promise actively discusses discrimination issues with Haitian businesses, governmental entities and other NGOs working in Haiti, encouraging the implementation of anti-discrimination strategies in Haitian society since 2009. Fortunately, on March 13, 2012, the Haitian Senate passed the Law on the Integration of Disabled Persons, which was the first of its kind in the country.

In July 2013, we will be bringing 50 PWDs to a beach resort in Montrious, Haiti for summer camp. Our team has been working with hotel management to build wheelchair ramps and widen doorways for wheelchair access into all areas of the resort. Management has even requested several of our all terrain wheelchairs for use with future guests.

We will continue to work in Haiti and other countries providing mobility for years to come. However, in order to offer a long-term impact, especially to our current program in Haiti, we’d love your support. Help us empower PWDs by giving them the opportunity to be more mobile and independent.

HAITI :: 1/5th of the way there!

Beautiful Diana in her Red Thread wheelchair!

While it may be an unlikely name for a blog post, it couldn't be more true today. We are 1/5th of way to funding a full container of All Terrain Wheelchairs (ATWs) for Haiti and we couldn't be more thrilled! 

Yesterday we received a $7,000 grant from the Lukens Fund of The Columbus Foundation toward this project. We are so grateful for this amazing gift! When added to the funds already received for the wheelchairs, we now have over $10,000 designated specifically to Haiti.

A full container holds 100 - 120 ATWs (depending on the wheelchair sizes specified). This comes at a total price of $45,000—approximately $350 per chair—which, in the world of specialty wheelchairs, is extremely reasonable. Yet, as we have shown in previous blog posts, the chairs are durable and easy to maintain and repair. We continue to check up on the chairs with each trip to Haiti, bringing replacement parts as necessary to keep the chairs in good working condition for years.

It is your generosity that has helped us come this far and your continued support that will allow us to completely fund a full container—a container that will change the lives of many Haitians with disabilities, like Diana, one of our first wheelchair recipients. 



Please consider sharing this project with your co-workers, friends and family as we can make a difference together! As always, donations can be made via PayPal or check. All info is in the right sidebar.

ATW :: Nicaragua / Juan update

Juan on the day he received his new ATW

Remember Juan in Nicaragua? Juan received one of our All Terrain Wheelchairs (ATW) in late 2011. Lucy, our contact from Accion Esperanza / Partnership for Hope (Ashland, OR), recently visited Juan in his community of El Lagartillo and shared these brief updates:

• Work is underway to make the front entrance to Juan's house wheelchair accessible
• Juan received the replacement parts for his ATW (including new tubes and tools)
• He was pleased to note that the replacement tires for his ATW are a standard size bicycle tire that is locally available

"It is far superior to any chair I have ever been in. 

It is fast and stable and looks forward to using it daily."

~ Juan

We will continue to update you on Juan as information becomes available. Thank you to our donors for their prayers and financial support of our programs. Together we are indeed making a difference.

New Tubes for ATWs!

Over the past few months we have been actively working with St. Vincent's Center for Handicapped Children to finish distributing our supply of All Terrain Wheelchairs (ATWs). We are pleased to share that over 90% of the chairs have been distributed to people with disabilities in and around Port-au-Prince!


We continue to offer maintenance and repairs for those already in circulation and are constantly re-evaluating the wheelchairs for areas of improvement on the next shipment. Earlier in 2012, our team discovered that the original tubes shipped with the chairs did not fare well in the intense Haitian heat and began researching alternatives. 


After sending a variety of tubes to St. Vincent's to test in the climate, we identified ones that were more suitable to the extreme conditions. Orders were placed so that every wheelchair in circulation as well as those in storage would receive replacement tubes that would better hold air. Prior to shipment, each tube was tested by the manufacturer to ensure that there were no holes or defects. 

Tubes are held under water to look for bubbles indicating leaks

By your continued support, we can meet our goals for this project:

• to provide the best quality products to our partners instead of old or second-hand chairs often sent to Haiti
• to maximize the usefulness and longevity of the chairs by providing on-going maintenance
• to reduce our environmental impact on Haiti by keeping the chairs in use longer, thereby minimizing waste

We invite you to continue helping us support people with disabilities in Haiti. Donations can be made via PayPal (button on the right) or snail mail to the address on the top right.