Over the past year Living Waters Phuket Foundation (LWPF) has donated more than 2,500 wheelchairs to the Thai Red Cross Society. This mobility project is part of a nationwide, strategic initiative to help fund the purchase of wheelchairs for use in hospitals, clinics and centres across Thailand to assist those with mobility challenges.
Giving the gift of mobility via wheelchair donations was brought in by LWPF as a tool for promoting equality, independence and social inclusion, for people around Thailand with disabilities or limited mobility.
Working with the Thai Red Cross Society was a natural fit, especially given this organisation’s aim to endeavour to alleviate human suffering, promote international humanitarian law and provide health services to the most vulnerable among children, women and the elderly.
The latest batch of 200 wheelchairs, which were delivered and distributed in March, went to Ayutthaya, some 80 kilometres north of Bangkok. The Thai Red Cross Society once again were on hand to help with distribution efforts to hospitals and medical centres in this area after receiving these medical supplies.
Southern Thailand has already received around 1,300 donated wheelchairs for those in need to areas such as Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi, Trang and Ranong. In central Thailand, Bangkok and the surrounding areas received almost 1,000 units, with around 300 going to Chiang Mai and the other regions in Northern Thailand.
Shaun Stenning, founder of Living Waters Phuket Foundation, commented, “Many communities across Thailand lack access to basic healthcare and mobility aids.”
He continued to make his point on the importance of these donations, “Wheelchairs provide not only mobility, but also accessibility to essential services including healthcare and education, which they could not get to without.”
LWPF is driving this effort to help people gain a feeling of independence by enabling them to move around and perform everyday chores without assistance. This in itself can significantly enhance quality of life and enable people to become more involved in their communities. The Foundation also aims to break down barriers and encourage social inclusion by making it easier for people with disabilities or mobility challenges to leave their residences and engage in community life.
Employment is another driving factor behind this initiative; those with disabilities who now have access to wheelchairs may get the opportunity to work and earn a living, with the longer-term goal of helping to improve economic conditions.
This donation is a natural extension to Living Waters Phuket Foundation’s work on medical supply and mobility projects across Thailand, including post trauma medical equipment donations.
The Foundation works to unite the efforts of registered charities, foundations, private companies and government organisations, to provide strategic and credible aid for projects around essential relief areas including sustainable food security, education, healthcare, renewable energy and environmental issues.
For further Information about Living Waters Phuket contact Shaun Stenning at +66 (0)937206221 or visit them at www.livingwatersphuket.com
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