June 2018: Kelvin’s grandmother is happy about his Mobility Cart after a train crushed his legs

Kelvin Has A Future Again

“…Kelvin decided he would crawl under the train, but just …”

Chasuchira Village – Balaka, Malawi … For many in Malawi, the sight of the 4.4-billion-dollar project signals economic growth. On May 12, 2017 Mozambique and Malawi celebrated the completion of the rail line that stretched from the seaport of Macala-a-Velha, Mozambique, across Southern Malawi, and ending at the Moatize coal fields in the portion of Mozambique that extends along the west side of Malawi.
But for one family the rail line will never be seen as valuable. Patuma Matiki, grandmother of 11-year-old Kelvin Chibwana explains,
“It was around 6 AM when Kelvin left the house to get water. The train had stopped beside our village, and the water was on the other side of the tracks. Kelvin decided he would crawl under the train, but just as he was under the car the train started to move. Both of his legs were crushed.”
The young boy was rendered helpless. Without legs, he could no longer walk. Neither could he play football with his friends, walk to school, or attend church services. He was helpless and felt hopeless. Both of them!
When Wilson Tembo, of the Malawi Project, reached the village with a mobility unit from the Project and Mobility Ministries he saw Kelvin crawling in the dirt near the house. Then he looked the other way and saw Patuma, his grandmother, crawling in the dirt at the other end of the house. “While I was getting water a crocodile caught both of my legs. When I cried for help my husband came and rescued me,” she said. While she regrets both situations, she focuses mostly on her grandson….

Report by our great distribution partner, Malawi Project

Stories such as this are made possible by your financial support.

New Staff Hired and Search For Others

Cary Loesing is joining us as Director of Operations in June.

Von Driggs helps with distributions in Swaziland, Africa.

Our current Director of Operations, Von Driggs, is transitioning over to Community Organizer. He will be doing more work at sharing our story & developing relationships with other organizations mainly across his home state of Texas. If you have an event or group that he could share our mobility story, please contact us. Von has led Mobility Worldwide’s operations/logistics program. He was instrumental in defining the position and leading impressive growth in the number of Mobility Carts that have been shipped over the years. We thank Von for his 10 years as staff this month.

Cary Loesing of the Atlanta area will begin training with Von to take over as Director of Operations during the next several weeks. Cary Loesing attended our most recent annual conference in Huntsville, AL and has led the Atlanta based team as they formed the MW Atlanta Affiliate. Most recently, Cary was employed by Emory University and helped organize/coordinate international conferences to expand the church. Prior to that, he worked for over 25 years with Hewlett Packard organizing and launching service centers internationally. In each of these roles, he coordinated the shipment of equipment and supplies. Cary also has held many leadership roles in the GA United Methodist Men’s ministry. Welcome, Cary.

Example Model

We are also looking for a volunteer Model Building Hobbyist.
Job Overview: Create miniature models of Mobility Carts for various promotional purposes. The finished models will be given away as gifts or tokens of appreciation or used in other types of displays to help people understand the concept behind the machine which brings mobility and more to thousands of people who are unable to walk due to injuries caused by landmines, diseases or birth defects. Many times, the finished model will be proudly displayed on an executive’s desk of a donor company. Model Maker Job Description (PDF)

$30,000 match opportunity was met in about 9 weeks to help more persons with leg handicaps. Thank you for your generous support of our mission!

Are You A Rule Follower?

Margot shares about her volunteering at one of our TX Affiliate production shops.

https://www.pechakucha.org/presentations/volunteering-rules

Margot Newcomb is one of our great volunteers in our mission family. She is the Board President and Shop Foreman at an Affiliate in TX that produces over 250 carts a year. She also presented a workshop at our annual conference last year to almost 100 attendees.

Check out this short slide show with audio. She discusses her life as a rule follower: “I love a law, guideline, rule, commandment, and an instruction. In fact, the PechaKucha presentation appeals to me because it has specific instructions. I will discuss my love of a good edict and how it has led to over 20 years of volunteering.” Margot talks about the organization she works with, Mobility Worldwide TX – Brazos Valley.

We’re Rockin’ & Rollin’ Now!

2018 Annual Conference Invitation

Come join us to learn more about our mission of distributing mobility around the world to the leg handicapped. Conference to take place October 4 – 6 at Christ Community Chapel, 252 Chillicothe Rd., Aurora, OH 44202 (near the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame). The new Innovator’s Workshop to take place on Oct. 4th as a pre-conference option. We encourage innovators to bring their ideas and prototypes to share with fellow colleagues to debate their merits (in a friendly environment). We look forward to having reps from our 23 Affiliates and all guests.

Two Newly Approved Shops Begin Production

Recently shops in E AL/W GA & Atlanta have joined our mobility family.

Mobility Worldwide has officially established Affiliates in Phenix, AL, and Atlanta, GA. Our Executive Director and Board Chair approved these operations after local volunteers underwent the required training and follow-on inspections needed to manufacture Mobility Carts to exact specifications. There is a process, which we provide guidance, that spells out setting up a 501c3 non-profit, establishing a local board, accounting needs, setting up a shop, and all the details of Mobility Cart production. Once the first few carts are built, they are inspected. Once approved and leadership on both sides sign a covenant agreement, mass production and shipping may begin.

Our Executive Director at left pictured with some of the Atlanta board.

The Phenix City team is led by Sam Singer, Board President. (Other volunteers are pictured at left.) The Atlanta team is led by Cary Loesing, Board Chair (seated). We are excited to add these two Affiliates to our mobility mission and the additional persons with leg handicaps that we will be able to help. We thank you for your support to make this expansion possible.

Gifts in Honor of Dr. Lucy Sauer’s birthday by Charles Sauer; Robert Hill by Mary Hill

Gifts in Memory of James Lauderdale by Virginia Bertz; Glen Hastings by Walt & JoAnn Shore; Marilyn Anderson by Norm Anderson; Bill McKay by Marcia & Mory Mani