Differently-abled kids receive wheelchairs

Around 200 differently-abled children and adults yesterday received used wheelchairs donated through the Cebu City government by a Cebuana who married a Japanese national.

Consultant on Education Joy Augustus Young took lead in distributing the said used wheelchairs from Japan donated by Regina Matthew Shiroiba who married a Japanese national from Yokohama.

Shiroiba, together with her husband took the effort of collecting used wheelchairs from family friends in Yokohama who, like them, have a differently-abled child.

The donated items are made-to-order wheelchairs so that when their previous users outgrew them, Shiroiba asked parents to donate the chairs to the indigent differently-abled residents here instead of throwing them away.

 The couple went from household to household to collect these for those who could not afford to buy one here,” Young said.

Young also said it is stated in the agreement that guardians of the recipients would take charge of returning these wheelchairs if these won’t fit the recipients anymore so that other differently-abled kids and adults will also be able to use them.

“They are not allowed to sell the chairs.  We will also be monitoring them from time to time,” he added. 

The city government helped in the shipment of the said wheelchairs to Cebu. Distribution took place at the Abellana Sports Center yesterday.  — Jasmin R. Uy/MEEV