For many Ugandan families raising children with disabilities, life is an uphill climb. Every hospital visit means long hours on the road, often carrying children in their arms because good wheelchairs are hard to find and too expensive when they are found. At home, simple activities like sitting up, playing with friends, or going to school remain only as dreams.
A basic wheelchair can cost nearly UGX 3.7 million, a figure far beyond reach for most parents already struggling with medical bills, daily caregiving, and the social stigmas that often come with raising a child with a disability.
This year, a new partnership between CURE Children’s Hospital of Uganda and Joni and Friends, an international Christian disability ministry, is changing this all-too-familiar story. Over 200 specially designed Cub Wheelchairs have been donated to help children living with severe neurological conditions such as hydrocephalus, spina bifida, brain tumors, and cerebral palsy regain mobility and independence.
“The majority of the families of our precious patients lack the financial resources to purchase assistive devices, including wheelchairs, when their children are in need of additional support for mobility. The specialized wheelchairs from Joni and Friends will be a transformational gift to support hundreds of our most vulnerable patients. The joy on the faces of the first children to receive these wheelchairs says it all! We are so grateful for this new collaboration with Joni and Friends,” said Tim Erickson, Executive Director of CURE Uganda. “These new wheelchairs will lift a burden from these families and allow children to more easily participate in community life.”
The Cub Wheelchairs are explicitly designed for children living in rural African communities. They are narrow enough to pass through small doorways, sturdy enough for unpaved village paths, and adjustable to grow with the child. Each chair is carefully fitted by CURE Uganda’s physiotherapy team to ensure proper posture and comfort. The fitting process takes roughly two to five hours per child, as every child’s needs are unique.
For Brenda, the donation is life-changing. Her daughter Rachel has been a patient at CURE since 2021 after being diagnosed with hydrocephalus.
“My daughter had grown too big to carry, and going to school was becoming impossible for her,” Brenda explains. “Now, she can sit, write, and even eat on her own because the wheelchair has a table. This is a blessing for us.”
Before receiving the wheelchair, Brenda often had to leave Rachel at home when she ran errands or went to the market because carrying her long distances was exhausting. School was not an option, even though Rachel longed to join other children in class. “This wheelchair gives us a future,” Brenda says softly.
Issa has walked a similar journey with his son Shakur, who was born with hydrocephalus. Finding a suitable wheelchair was nearly impossible.
“I once tried to get a wheelchair, but it was the wrong design, and Shakur would cry every time he sat in it,” Issa shares. “This new chair is perfect. It keeps his head steady and gives him a chance to sit upright like other children. We are so grateful.”
For Issa, the wheelchair is more than mobility; it’s dignity for his son and a chance to be part of everyday life instead of lying on the ground or being carried everywhere.
The donation process is deliberate and personal. Families are identified during physiotherapy sessions at CURE and through mobile clinics across Uganda. When a wheelchair is issued, parents are guided through a careful fitting process, ensuring every child receives the proper support.
For many families, there were no other options before this donation. Most could never afford a wheelchair, meaning children spent much of their childhood lying down or being carried on a caregiver’s back. These chairs are more than just equipment; they are a ticket to independence, education, play, and dignity.
Click here to donate and join us in giving children the gift of mobility. Support CURE Uganda and help more families access life-changing care.
About the CURE Children’s Hospital of Uganda
CURE Children’s Hospital of Uganda has been a place of hope since opening its doors in 2001. It is one of Africa’s leading pediatric hospitals for brain surgery and the treatment of neurological conditions. Our teaching hospital has an 18-bed Intensive Care Unit and 59 ward beds, three operating rooms, and an outpatient clinic. In addition to world-class medical care, our team ministers to the emotional and spiritual needs of our patients and their communities.
