So far, we’ve sent children’s wheelchairs to Mongolia twice, 26 units in November 2019, and 25 units in August 2022, which were possible through the introduction of Mr. Saito of Sakura Wheelchair Project.
We’re starting Mongolian project since it is on the list of the countries for our NGO’s donation plan for this fiscal year. The candidate in Mongolia is the Center for Independent Living(Representative: Mr.Undrakhbayar, a man on a wheelchair), which we sent in August 2022.
In 2022, five Japanese NPOs jointly sent 140 wheelchairs, including 25 children’s from our NGO, to the center, which he launched in 2010. This time, however, we plan to send 90 children’s wheelchairs on our own.
Mr. Saito told me that Mr.Undrakhbayar would come to Japan to join Main Stream Association‘s 9-day training “Project to Strengthen Centers for Independent Living” in Nishinomiya, Hyogo prefecture, supported by Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA). He said that seven Mongolians, including Mr.Undrakhbayar, would take part in the training program with the aim of improving the wellfare of their country.
Then, I visited him during his training on short notice. The purpose of the visit was to discuss our NGO’s concept of providing children’s wheelchairs to children and how to manage them. We exchanged opinions on how to handle children’s wheelchairs, which require different management from adult wheelchairs.
He had a very good understanding of children’s wheelchairs as well as adult wheelchairs, and I felt that I could entrust him with a wheelchair from our NGO. When I asked him to accept our wheelchairs and take on the role of providing them to Mongolian children, he readily agreed. Now I am confident that we can send wheelchairs for children to Mongolia.
Our Mongolian project will begin with our regular meeting on Sunday, June 9. 90 units are expected to be cleaned, maintained, and packed by September/October. we hope to ship them to the country by the end of 2024.
May 29, 2024 Chairperson Hirokazu Morita