Wheelchairs for Kids Inc.
We listen, we care, we give to disabled children around the world.
Vol. 8 Issue 2
APRIL - MAY
2011
Wheelchairs for Kids Inc. Since 1998. A PROJECT OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF SCARBOROUGH ASSISTED BY THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERS
THE
90 YEARS YOUNG.
D
R
I
L
L
Model 9
Editor: Vol. Bob Sheridan
gives mobility
in the
Contact: 9409 3633
or
wchairs@bigpond.net.au
Frank Howe
workshop volunteer since 2006 turned
90 on Monday May 2 and celebrated
the milestone at the workshop on his
regular Wednesday, May 4.
Frank is seen here about to cut his
birthday cake provided by his daughter,
Margaret.
Frank’s great sense of humour and
readiness to work wherever he is asked
has made him a very valued volunteer in
the workshops.
Thank you, Frank for your reliable
contribution over the past five years and
we all wish you many more years of
good health and wheelchair making.
VICTIMS OF WAR - IRAQI CHILDREN AND FAMILIES DEPLETED URANIUM & TRAUMA.
A shortened version of an article from the internet is
presented on page 5. The full article can be read on
www.indymedia.org.au Iraq children and families - depleted uranium
Solomon
Islands.
The
NEWS FROM CEO GORDON
Drill
Page 2
You will all agree that “The Drill” has become due to the expertise
of
editor
Bob
instructional
Sheridan
and
,
a
well
very
read
professional,
in-
house
newsworthy,
magazine.
Originally intended just for circulation to workshop volunteers ,
copies are often requested by others. As I am always looking for
ways to promote our project, I am suggesting to Editor Bob that
this magazine deserves a wider distribution and wider scope of
editorial content, particularly
highlighting some of the novel
ways others have of fund raising. We should also invite others
to contribute articles for publication.
For
instance
on
Sunday
last,
St
George’s
Cathedral
Perth
following their morning service , organised a Teddy Bears picnic
in the gardens. The object was to bring a teddy bear to donate
and also to raise funds for Wheelchairs for Kids . Olly attended
and said that it was a great success with many children and
adults donating their teddy bears to our Project at a “Teddy
Bears Picnic “ after the service.
I attended a meeting of the Rotary Club of Melville recently and
came away with a $5,000 cheque.
I mentioned in the last edition that Motivation is holding a
training session in East Timor in July for which we have
contributed 20 wheelchairs. This session is being used to show our
wheelchair to the World Health Organisation and to other world
wide organisations.
Don Kidson, one of our volunteers, having
with others, carried out a lot of investigation into Postural
Support Design, has agreed to represent us at the symposium. He
will be accompanied by Rotarian Peter Hoo, who has spent a lot of
time sourcing overseas materials.
A reminder that we are still seeking a name which will
adequately describe and promote our rough terrain adjustable
child’s wheelchair. Keep thinking!
W
F
The
RECYCLING UPDATE:
Drill
TOTAL INCOME: $33,738.28
Some time ago the article below was placed in the TPI Magazine
“ Battling On” , thanks to Volunteer Peter Dunsire.
Steve Tod passed away in early April after a long illness.
Steve’s contribution as a volunteer in the workshops since September
2010 was very much appreciated.
Ed Lampe passed away peacefully at home in April
surrounded by family and friends. Ed contributed to the early
development of the Project .
Ed was an active volunteer from 1999 to 2007.
THE TECHNICAL PROGRESS GROUP MEMBERS
Gordon Hudson ( C.E.O and Chairman)
Br. Olly Pickett ( Workshop Manager )
Peter Hoo
Bob Parry
Bob Izett
Don Kidson
Ted Melvin
Charles Miller
Bob Morris
David Shepherd
Noel Watson
Bob Sheridan
Page 3
Yearly Distribution of wheelchairs
YEAR
NUMBER
TOTAL
1998
120
120
1999
250
370
2000
300
670
2001
300
970
2002
1117
2087
2003
1755
3842
2004
1685
5527
2005
2170
7697
2006
2172
9869
2007
3430
13299
2008
2671
15970
2009
1824
17794
2010
808
18602
2011
460
19062
The distribution in 2010 of more than
1000 wheelchairs less than in 2009 was
the price needed to be paid in order to
develop the current Model 9 wheelchair.
Production time was used to develop the
design of prototypes then make them and
test them.
It was not until August, 2010 that
production of Model 9 got under way.
709 wheelchairs were then made in 5
months and the total distribution of 808
was due to existing stocks of Model 8.
The
Distribution around the World
AFGHANISTAN
1
IRAN
22
ANGOLA
50
IRAQ
1353
ARMENIA
130
JAVA
112
BALI ( INDONESIA )
566
JORDAN
BELARUS
131
BOSNIA
Page 4
Drill
SAVU SAVU ( FIJI )
40
SINGAPORE
1
SOLOMON ISLANDS
242
105
SOMALIA
292
KENYA
177
SOUTH AFRICA
90
100
LAOS
20
SOUTH KOREA
20
BOUGAINVILLE ( PNG )
6
LIBERIA
181
SRI LANKA
BRAZIL
2
MADAGASCAR
26
SUDAN
52
BULGARIA
25
MALDIVES
4
SUMATRA ( INDONESIA )
22
CAMBODIA
676
MAURITANIA
75
TANZANIA
593
CANADA
1
MAURITIUS
4
THAILAND
1
CHERNOBYL ( UKRAINE )
60
MONGOLIA
108
TONGA
6
CHINA
591
MOZAMBIQUE
99
UGANDA
181
COOK ISLANDS
5
MYANMAR (BURMA)
410
UKRAINE
25
D.R. OF CONGO
480
NAURU
10
USA ( CALIFORNIA ) DEMO
1
EAST TIMOR
670
NEPAL
11
VANUATU
96
EL SALVADOR
1
NIGERIA
438
VIETNAM
4914
ETHIOPIA
29
ONI - I - LAU ( FIJI )
10
ZAMBIA
187
FIJI
443
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
ZIMBABWE
453
FLORES IS. ( INDONESIA )
20
PERU
2
GAZA STRIP
656
PHILIPPINES
174
GHANA
142
ROMANIA
131
INDIA
317
SAMOA
65
1356
1810
TOTAL
CORRECT AT
19062
MAY , 2011
2011 FILLED ORDERS
FEBRUARY
CAMBODIA (130), VIETNAM (130), ZAMBIA (27)
MARCH
NIGERIA (5), BALI (1), EAST TIMOR (20)
APRIL
GHANA (130) , BALI (2)
NEXT ORDERS
HAVING GOT BEHIND WITH HIS UNION DUES, NOEL ALWAYS
CHECKS TO SEE IF THE COAST IS CLEAR BEFORE LEAVING THE
SAFETY OF THE BANDSAW ROOM.
( Quite sad really. )
MAY
IRAQ (327)
JUNE
TANZANIA (130),
VIETNAM (130)
VICTIMS OF WAR -
The
Page 5
Drill
IRAQI CHILDREN AND FAMILIES DEPLETED URANIUM & TRAUMA.
www.indymedia.org.au Iraq children and families - depleted
uranium
“Most children amputees in non-OECD ( Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ) countries
are victims of wars - evil scourges flourished by bullets, explosives, bombs, land mines and missiles. During
this last decade the Provinces of Basra and Al Muthanna in Iraq challenged Angola for the highest proportion
to total population of child amputees. Basra and Al Muthanna have unheralded levels of cancer since
Chernobyl due to many radioactive sites from depleted uranium after the war.
Firstly through the Centre for Human Rights at Curtin University and hence through a tertiary student
volunteer organisation which I founded in 2005, “Students without Borders”, I met an Iraqui Curtin University
student , Riyadh Al-Hakimi.
Riyadh described to me much of the devastation of Basra and its effects on its humanity. I do not forget
Riyadh’s description of a little Iraqi child dragging himself across a street in their hometown. The withered
deadened-like stump of his right leg creating a painful trail in the dusty street. The child’s parents could not
afford a wheelchair even if they were available.
Riyadh and I teamed up through “Students without Borders” to send as many wheelchairs as we could to the
Iraqi towns of Najaf, Samawa and Ramadi. During 2008 we had planned on getting 200 wheelchairs however
Riyadh secured 327 new children’s wheelchairs generously donated by Wangara manufacturer “Wheelchairs
for Kids”. However there began a long saga. No shipping country would transport the wheelchairs to the
Basra port. It was deemed too dangerous. Woodside donated funds for the transport and Senator Chris Evans
assisted by approaching the Australian Defence Forces. The volunteers at Wheelchairs for Kids gave of their
time on a Saturday and packed the wheelchairs for transport.
The wheelchairs were divided up between the three towns. Riyadh’s home town Najaf and Samawa are
predominately Shi’ite and the town of Ramadi is majorly Sunni. Riyadh wanted this gesture to bring the two
peoples together as had been his world prior to the war. Riyadh once said to me “ Till this war was started on
us in Iraq, no one ever asked me whether I am Sunni or Shi’ite. Never.”
The local Sunni hospital in Ramadi distributed 100 wheelchairs and the community did view Riyadh’s gesture
as one of goodwill and every reason for reconciliation.
Riyadh and I have teamed up again through “The Human Rights Alliance”. We are working towards
establishing a wheelchair factory in the heart of Al Muthanna in the town of Samawa. Riyadh lives now in
Samawa and will be on hand to ensure the planning of the factory goes ahead. Riyadh is now a political
advisor to an Iraqi federal member of Parliament. We hope to ship 1000 wheelchairs unassembled to the
factory for the employment of trained workers and thus strengthen the community.
Riyadh has said “Wheelchairs must be provided to every child that needs one in Iraq irrespective of their
religion and ethnicity”.
Gerry Georgatos
Convener of The Human Rights Alliance.
PhD ( Law ) researcher in Australian Deaths in Custody.