We were offered wheelchairs from Miyashiro Special School for the first time in two years. They store wheelchairs that are gathered at school for a long time and call us when they get a certain number. It’s the cooperation of PTA board members and schoolteachers that makes this collection possible, and they are a big support for our NGO.
We got 30 wheelchairs, including buggy-types and sitting-aids, a few car seats, bathchairs, and orthoses on July 20. Picking up more than 30 vehicles in one truck collection is efficient and very helpful.
There were wheelchairs arranged under the roof before the truck arrived. Like the last time, PTA members helped us put a sticker “Miyashiro Special School July 2023” on each wheelchair and also load them into the truck. Although it was done in quite hot weather, we were able to finish it in a short time.
We told them we’re going to send them to Ethiopia around the end of the year or in January. One of them asked, “Are you going to transport them by ship?” I explained, “We will load 90 units into a container and transport them to Ethiopia by ship, which will take about one month.” We’d like to provide information on which wheelchairs were delivered to which children whenever possible.
July 31, 2023 Secretariat
(How to see the photos) Click on the photos to enlarge them and to see them consecutively.
(Left) 30 wheelchairs arranged in the shade. PTA members were also waiting for us.
(Right) Putting a sticker on all the wheelchairs. Their brisk work was a lot of help.
30 units of wheelchairs, car seats, orthoses, all of them loaded into the truck in no time!
In the middle is Ms. Tsukita, PTA president, who took care of all the details, including the coordination of the schedule for this event. The vice principal (third from the left), who came to see how things were going, was also included in the photo.
Afterwards, they presented the truck driver and two staff members with cold drinks. It was delicious. Thank you, everyone!