Signing the formal agreement are (l to r) Scott Walters, MW executive director, Steve Baima, MW board of advisors, Ibrahim Bangura and Lamin Mansaray, Mobility Sierra Leone.
Mobility Worldwide has formally moved forward in establishing a manufacturing site in Bo, Sierra Leone. Mobility Worldwide’s senior management team flew to Sierra Leone to work out the final details with leaders of Mobility Sierra Leone before formally signing a memorandum of understanding setting the operation in motion. Mobility Worldwide has collaborated with Mobility Sierra Leone for 10 years by providing the West African organization with its three-wheeled wheelchair carts which were handcrafted by volunteers throughout the United States. By starting an operation in Sierra Leone, the organization can forego the substantial shipping costs while also employing those who are unable to walk in the African nation.
The American team, led by Steve Baima, board advisor, Scott Walters, executive director and Rob Fleming, volunteer general counsel, worked through some of the final production details with Ibrahim Bangura and Lamin Mansaray who comprise the management team in Sierra Leone. Plans call for the procurement of manufacturing equipment, recruiting and training local staff and producing and distributing a minimum of 100 Mobility Carts within the initial 12 month start-up period. The carts will be given free of charge to those unable to walk due to injuries from land mines, disease or birth defects. Once the operation is fully functional, the Sierra Leone operation will help with other facilities throughout Africa.
“This is a major turning point for Mobility Worldwide as we work toward our goal of becoming truly global in not only our distribution but our manufacturing also”, said Steve Baima, board advisor. “During our strategic planning process we fully recognized that the majority of our Mobility Carts were given to those in need throughout Africa and it only makes sense for us to now strengthen our physical presence there”, he said. “We have been very careful to ensure that we had the right African based team in place to ensure our success,” stated Scott Walters, Mobility Worldwide Executive Director. “Our experience tells us that we need to work in full partnership with those working to help others in their community so that everyone has full buy-in and ownership,” he said.
