As a member of monthly meetings
A friend from high school told me about this organization, Sending Wheelchairs Overseas, at a class reunion and I have joined in this activity since then. The friend had also told me about the activity of sending used schoolbags overseas.
Those schoolbags which are collected and sent overseas are full of notebooks and pencils, he said. How nice of those who have sent these schoolbags!
I remembered how I felt when I heard about the sending schoolbag activity and that heart-warming feeling led me to become a member in the wheelchair-refurbishing work.
In our activity it is necessary to do elaborate refurbishing work so that every wheelchair will be sent in good condition.
I had had some experince of fixing bicycles and I thought I could fix wheelchairs in the same way, but, to my surprise, there are no identical wheelchairs. Each wheelchair is custom-made according to its user’s disability.
So, we need to think of the best way of fixing indivisual wheelchair.
On the other hand, we use standard valve rubber to all the wheelchairs so that the users overseas can get the part easily.
We work cheerfully with college students, high school students, overseas students, people from Vietnam and Ethiopia, and with regular and temporary volunteers.
There is a manager of wheelchair maker among the regular members and he is always a helpful instructor for other members with less experince.
I hope more people get interested in our activity and join us.
Jan. 25 2017 Hiroshi Nakao
Mr. Nakao is at refurbishing wotk.