Life for the physically challenged can be very difficult and frustrating. Mobility aids such as wheelchairs, crutches and walking frames can greatly help to alleviate stress of daily living. Unfortunately, mobility aids equipment can be very expensive and not everyone with a physical handicap or impairment can afford to buy them. Kampong Senang’s Mobility aids Services & Training Centre (MASTC) exists to remedy this situation by provisioning mobility aids, services and support to the less fortunate so that they can live better lives.
We have discovered that many hospital beds, wheelchairs, commode chairs, walking frames, walking sticks, crutches and other mobility aids equipment are discarded once they are no longer wanted. Most of these items are in good working condition and could easily be recycled for reuse. Through MASTC, we wanted to eliminate environmentally damaging wastefulness while benefitting society.
We train volunteers and caregivers in the art of mobility aids repair and maintenance, wheelchair handling, befriending the elderly and the physically disabled. We collect any used and unwanted mobility aids equipment and refurbish them. We then work closely with the social work department of hospitals to provide these recycled mobility aids to those who need them and train them in using them. The centre recycles nearly 500 mobility aids equipment annually.
Medical social workers from our community partners, which includes hospitals, corporations and social enterprises, help us to loan out the recycled equipment to 1,800 needy families. The National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre recognised this effort known as the Wheels of Hope project by awarding it the New Non-Profit Initiative Award in 2008.
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