Life in Zambia has not been easy for Joseph. Although he is just 16 years old, he said, “There used to be times when I felt like giving up on life.”

When Joseph started school, his friends had to carry him on their backs. When his friends were not available, Joseph used to crawl so he wouldn’t miss a lesson.
Remembering those days, Joseph said, “I could not take it anymore. Seeing my friends playing, going to school and doing things on their own used to make me sad because I couldn’t walk or do things on my own.”

Two years ago, in 2014, Joseph was excited to receive a used wheelchair from a nearby church. While it helped him get around, the wheelchair was not in good shape. As time passed, the condition of the wheelchair continued to deteriorate and Joseph was eventually unable to use it.

“The moment I thought my help had come through was the moment it went away because the wheelchair started giving me problems,” he explained.

With no reliable way to get to school, Joseph started missing lessons and began losing interest in school. But his life was transformed when he received a new wheelchair through Free Wheelchair Mission’s partnership with World Vision.

Thanks to that new wheelchair, Joseph said,

“I now feel like I am in a new world. Everything has changed and all the challenges I used to go through are now a thing of a past. This wheelchair is now my new pair of legs which can take me anywhere I want to go.”

When he completes his education, Joseph wants to become a doctor so he can bring hope to other vulnerable children in his community. “I am very grateful,” he said with a smile. “I shall forever be grateful.”

What a transformation! Thank you for your generosity and your commitment to providing the gift of mobility to people like Joseph.

Blessings,

Don Schoendorfer

P.S. Don’t forget, you can share the message of hope and transformation with your friends and loved ones this Christmas by ordering holiday greeting cards from Free Wheelchair Mission.