The Rachel Swart Fund

Testimonials

Nonpumelelo writes ...

I have always known that an electric wheelchair was exactly what I needed, but I never thought it was possible. I even used to dream of it, but knew it could never be a reality because there was no money and my mother definitely could not afford one even if we had saved up for it for 50 years.

There are some times when I still cannot believe that I am actually sitting in a motorised wheelchair and that I am in control of where I go and when I go.

I felt like such a burden on everybody around me - my friends at school and my family. They had to always push me and carry me and even though they never complained, I always felt like I was a worry to them and I restricted their movements.

Now, when I sit in my room and decide it is getting too hot, I can just wheel myself outside, instead of having to shout for someone to help and distract them from what they were doing. I can go to the library on my own when I have a project from school. In the past, I had to send my cousin and sometimes she brought the wrong books for me. Now I go myself.

Before, when I went to town, I had to have two people accompany me, so that when one was tired, the other could take over. We could not venture too far away from the Taxi rank because the walk back would be too tiring for my friends.

Now, when I ride down the street, I have my friends walking beside me and not pushing me from behind. I feel like I belong.

You have given me dignity, which I never had before in my life, because from a little child, I have always been dependent on others.

Thank you.