Child Protection

“At around the age of two, we noticed that he was unable to stand or walk. Whenever he tried to stand, he would fall repeatedly, experiencing pain each time. He would cry.” Fatuma, mother to 9-year-old Rehis recalls.

For 9-year-old Rehis, every step was a struggle he could not take. Born with a physical disability in Seke, a town located 17 kilometers from Jimma in the Oromia Region, he had never known the freedom of movement. Fatuma, his mother, a single parent since his father left, carried him on her back everywhere they went, be it to the market, to school, and back to the small spaces they called home under the verandas of nearby houses.

Life was hard. With no stable shelter and no means for Rehis to move independently, each day was a battle. But in 2022, hope arrived. His mother brought him to the Cheshire Foundation Orthopedic Facility, where he received a life-changing gift – a modified wheelchair for children with custom made footrests.

For a year and a month, Rehis also underwent physiotherapy, receiving additional treatment at the Jimma Health facility. Slowly, the small victories began to add up. He learned to push his own wheelchair, giving him a sense of control over his movement for the first time in his life.

Now attending school, Rehis continues to overcome obstacles. His progress is undeniable. He can now wash his hands independently and make small physical movements that once seemed impossible. For his mother, every tiny step forward gives her hope.

In October 2022, ChildFund and the Jimma Cheshire Foundation Orthopedic Workshop launched an initiative to increase access to assistive devices for children like Rehis. With funding from Dow Chemical, the workshop acquired cutting-edge equipment, including a Computerized Numerical Control (CNC) router machine, toolboxes, a heat gun, a generator, and a grinder. This investment revolutionized the workshop’s production, shifting from manual jigsaw cutting to precise computerized technology.

The results were remarkable. 

“With this new machine, the technician only needs to input the design into the computer. Once that is done, they simply monitor the process and make adjustments as needed. By eliminating unnecessary steps, the machine completes tasks that previously took an entire day in just two to three minutes. This has significantly boosted our production, allowing us to meet demand,” says Assefa Korsa, Jimma Orthopedic Workshop Manager, at Cheshire Foundation.

The workshop’s capacity grew from producing just four assistive devices per day to an impressive 15, drastically reducing waiting times for children in need. More importantly, it brought essential services closer, eliminating the need for families to travel over 400 kilometers to access mobility aids.

Beyond wheelchairs, the upgraded workshop now designs and produces a wider range of assistive technologies, transforming lives and giving children with disabilities the opportunity to move, learn, and dream.

For Rehis and other children and youth living with physical disabilities, this means a future filled with possibilities. And for Fatuma and other parents, it is a future where they no longer carry the weight of uncertainty, only the joy of seeing their children gradually triumphing over disabilities, one day at a time.