CHILDREN LIVING WITH DISABILITIES IN TANZANIA

There is a large population of children living with disabilities in Tanzania that are seldom seen or heard about.  Many people see disabilities as a punishment from God, so these individuals often become outcasts. Widespread poverty and a lack of resources has prevented these children from receiving basic health care, physical therapy and access to wheelchairs and other mobility devices. Most of these children are unable to attend school and many are illiterate. Wheelchairs empower these precious children to rise up and enter more fully into their communities, where they can be known and accepted. The gift of a wheelchair, along with the loving support and prayers of believers, can help these children and their families experience God’s unconditional love. Shame and condemnation can be washed away and replaced with healing and joy.

BACKGROUND:

Wayne and Lee Ann Hanson, Co-Founders of Reach Out and Care (ROC) Wheels, devoted 21 years to delivering the gift of mobility to children living with disabilities in less resourced countries. The original ROC wheelchair was uniquely designed to accommodate children with even the most severe disabilities. ROC delivered over 11,000 wheelchairs and shared the good news of the gospel in 24 countries. Wayne and Lee Ann retired in 2020 and are now partnering with Lion of Judah Ministries.

Six million children worldwide need a durable adaptive wheelchair like the ROC Chair. The company, Participant Assistive Products, (PAP) was established in 2017 to develop high quality adaptable wheelchairs that can be manufactured on a large scale. Wayne worked together with the PAP Team to design the new CUB chair to help address this monumental need. The CUB Chair is now able to fill the needs of the LOJ Team, ROC Wheels and numerous other non-profit wheelchair organizations throughout the world. Wayne is Co-Founder of PAP.

Lee Ann directed the YEWTHS ROC program which stands for “Youth Empowered With The Holy Spirit Reach Out and Care”.  As a teacher, Lee developed a curriculum to empower youth to use their gifts and talents to reach out and care for others. Each student was challenged to see themselves and others as a treasure in God’s eyes who created each of them to be vessels of His Love. Disability awareness, social entrepreneurship, wheelchair assembly and distributions were all part of the program in the U.S. 

Asher Hanson joined Wayne and Lee Ann on the 2024 mission trip to LOJA. Asher is Wayne and Lee Ann’s grandson. He has been on numerous YEWTHS ROC trips and has become a very competent wheelchair technician and a strong leader who freely shares his faith with others.

2024 MISSION TRIP

In July, Wayne, Lee Ann and Asher traveled to The Lion of Judah Academy on a mission trip. It was exciting to see all that God had done in the last 20 years. Lynn and Lee had often prayed about the possibility of doing missions together. This trip was the beginning of an answered prayer.

The plan was to deliver and individually fit 6 children into wheelchairs. Eric Oguta, a pastor and long time friend of the Hansons, pastors a church in Mwanza, a 2 hour drive from LOJA. Erick and Gertrude were able to identify 6 children that were in great need of a wheelchair.  Each child and family who received the gift of mobility was prayed for and blessed, with the reassurance that their greatest gift is the gift of salvation. Three of the families who received wheelchairs rolled into Church that Sunday!

Three of the six wheelchairs were sent in boxes from Uganda. Nancy Mbua, a Physical therapist, who works with PAP escorted the boxes on this arduous journey through Uganda and Kenya and was now stuck at the Tanzanian border. If it wasn’t for God’s grace and intervention, along with school director Mtebe's connections with government authorities, these wheelchairs may never have made it through customs. When the wheelchairs finally arrived, there was a mysterious extra box. Everyone was excited to discover that we had received a miracle in the form of an additional CUB adaptive wheelchair. God had a child in mind.

The Team was asked to share the Disability Awareness presentation they had prepared with the High School students at LOJA. These bright students expressed a genuine interest in learning more, since they knew very little about reaching out to people with disabilities. Out of all the students at LOJA only one knew a person who used a wheelchair. As a result, Wayne, Lee Ann and Asher were asked to share the Disability Awareness presentation with the entire school.

After reaching out to the neighboring villages, the Team heard of Juma, a child with severe disabilities who had no form of mobility. Juma needed a very specialized adaptable wheelchair. The 7th wheelchair that was miraculously delivered was indeed the solution. With the help of the LOJA students, the team adjusted each component of his new CUB chair. It fit Juma like a glove. The CUB gave Juma the support he needed to sit proudly and the mobility he needed to interact with others.  His new tray allowed him a platform to eat and play along with his siblings and peers. When Juma was introduced to all the students at LOJA, it was a transformative moment. The students' eyes were opened, not only to the challenges faced by those living with disabilities, but also to the realization that we are all a treasure from God despite our level of disability. God used Juma to fill all our hearts with awareness, empathy, and love.

 Wayne, Lee Ann and Asher's visit left a lasting impact, so much that plans were quickly set in motion for their return in 2025 with a shipping container full of wheelchairs!

2025 MISSION TRIP TO LION OF JUDAH ACADEMY

 WHEELCHAIR DISTRIBUTION

The Team will deliver 81 wheelchairs selected from PAP’s family of mobility products to LOJA for the August distribution. The shipment will include numerous accessories for therapeutic support as well as the materials needed for maintenance and repair.

Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania, (CCBRT) is a Tanzania based Non-government Organization which serves the disabled community. CCBRT, has provided the names, location and diagnosis for 68 wheelchair recipients. Each PAP wheelchair has been selected based on the child’s age, size and diagnosis. Wayne and Lee Ann have located four additional children who need the CUB wheelchair. The staff and students at LOJ will continue to reach out to neighboring villages to help locate additional wheelchair recipients.

The children who cannot travel to LOJA will be fit into their wheelchair in Mwanza. Determined Education and Rural Empowerment, (DERE) has graciously offered to provide their support and facility in Mwanza.

Two Physical therapists, who are dear friends of the Hansons, Isaac Byonanebye Dickson, Director of Agape Rehabilitation Initiative in Uganda and Nancy Mbua, PAP regional Director from Kenya, will be overseeing the wheelchair Fittings. Another PT from the US may be joining us as well.

Pastoral support will be provided by Josephales Sosthenes Mtebe, Hart Inlow and Erick Oguta.

DISABILITY AWARENESS INITIATIVE

‘ROLE - Reach Out in Love Eternal’

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34 NIV

YOUTH PROGRAM

Students at LOJA will be given the opportunity to interact and bless the children and their families who are coming to receive their wheelchairs. Our role in life is to learn to love God, ourselves and one another. Simple acts of kindness in the form of a smile, a kind word, playing a game or giving a handmade gift can touch hearts in a powerful way. Students will think of creative ways that they can use their gifts and talents to reach out in love. Then on the day of the distribution, the students will be able to share their gifts and acts of kindness with the wheelchair recipients and their families. We will share and celebrate their testimonies and rejoice in the fact that we are each a precious treasure in the eyes of God.

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.'” – John 9:1-3

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM

This extra-curricular program will give students the opportunity to learn about various forms of disability and what kind of challenges people living with disability are confronted with in their search for purpose, independence and identity. Presenters will utilize research materials, video presentations and interactive discussions to illustrate issues that affect people living with disabilities. Evaluation tools will be utilized to help the student identify their own personal strengths and weaknesses.

The students will learn how to adjust and operate the CUB wheelchair and will get the opportunity to fit and position a child properly in his/her wheelchair. This will help them prepare them for the upcoming wheelchair distribution where they will work side by side with the team and get advice from physical therapists. The students will be able to share in the celebration when a child experiences the freedom of mobility for the first time.

DISABILITY AWARENESS WORKSHOP

The LOJA Disability Awareness Workshop will be equipped with the tools and materials needed to provide wheelchair repair, maintenance as well as therapeutic positioning materials to help children sit with comfort and proper support in their wheelchair. An inventory of assorted wheelchairs will be on hand to serve people in the area who have no mobility. A small library including the Disability Awareness curriculum and additional educational materials will be on hand as a resource and for continued education.

Student leaders will be trained to maintain, repair and adjust the wheelchairs when needed by wheelchair users in neighboring villages. The student leaders, in turn, can empower other students with the tools and skills they need to support each wheelchair recipient and their family.

CCBRT will continue to provide professional support from physical therapists that is needed, whenever possible.

The disability awareness workshop will create an opportunity to reach out to wheelchair users and their families in nearby villages to share the love of Christ.