Mobility Changes Everything

Our mission: to provide the life-transforming gift of mobility in developing nations, as motivated by Jesus Christ.

The Free Wheelchair Mission Story

In 1979, while on vacation in Morocco, a young engineer and inventor named Don Schoendorfer witnessed the agonizing plight of a woman struggling to drag herself across a busy thoroughfare.

Unable to forget the scene, Don would eventually leave a successful career in the biomedical field and design a durable, comfortable, and cost-effective wheelchair. His unique design became the cornerstone of Free Wheelchair Mission, the nonprofit organization he founded in 2001.

Free Wheelchair Mission is a humanitarian, faith-based nonprofit that designs and manufactures cost-efficient, durable wheelchairs for individuals living with disabilities in developing countries.

In collaboration with a network of like-minded partners, Free Wheelchair Mission has distributed 1.3 million wheelchairs to individuals in need in 94 countries around the world, providing renewed dignity, independence, and hope through the gift of mobility, at no cost to the recipient.

The Need & Solution

The Need is Great

The World Health Organization estimates that 75 million people in the world are in need of a wheelchair.

Without mobility, people living with disabilities are often left confined to their beds or homes, hindering their ability to pursue an education, make a living, or participate in community on their own.

The Solution is Simple

We believe in a world where everyone who needs a wheelchair has one.

Our wheelchairs are simple, cost-effective, and highly functional. They are designed to be resilient enough to withstand regular use in rugged terrain commonly found in developing countries.

Because of our unique wheelchair designs and our distribution network, we are able to maximize our impact and provide wheelchairs to individuals living in some of the most remote regions on the planet.

For under $100, a wheelchair can be manufactured and shipped to a person in need.

That is less than the cost of a latte a day for a month, a tank of gas for your SUV, a new pair of name-brand shoes, or dinner and a movie for two.
Small sacrifices we can make are life-transforming for those living with disabilities in the developing world.

Donate Now

Your Impact

When you give someone a wheelchair, you give someone the chance to breathe fresh air, visit friends and neighbors—or even go to school or get a job. The transforming gift of mobility changes everything. Mobility means independence, the ability to participate in society and earn a living. It means renewed dignity, leaving behind the days of being on the ground.

Since 2001, more than 1.3 million lives across 94 countries have been transformed by the gift of mobility from Free Wheelchair Mission.

Will you get involved today and help transform a life forever?

impact stories

Forced to Crawl

Robert, a 50-year-old man from Buikwe, Uganda, has never been able to walk, and for his entire life, he has been forced to crawl. Can you even imagine what that must have been like-the pain, the exhaustion, the sheer frustration? Despite his challenges, Robert does his best and manages to make a modest living on […]

Hope After Darkness

Godfrey lives in a remote town in the mountains of Uganda, seven hours away from the capital city, Kampala. He was born with a disability. Our distribution partner, Father’s Heart Mobility Ministry, met him when he made his way to a wheelchair distribution at a local church. Without a mobility aid, Godfrey would scoot himself along […]

“So Excited”

This story comes to you from a team at Right at Home, a Nebraska-based company that has been partnering with Free Wheelchair Mission since 2017. In late 2019, just months before travel restrictions imposed by the pandemic, a team from Right at Home embarked on a vision trip to distribute wheelchairs in Ecuador. They shared […]

“Help More People Like Us”

Irene is a 29-year-old woman in South Africa. She was born with a disability, which could often a source of shame for her when she was younger. Due to lingering superstitions and misconceptions, some members of the community saw disability as a curse, leading them to shun her. “Life has been hard,” she confessed, “and […]

Lifting Up Hope

Nicasio, a 58-year-old in the Dominican Republic, lives with his mother, daughter, grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. When a wheelchair distribution team visited his home earlier this year, the first thing they noticed was how close-knit this family seemed to be. It was obvious that they all loved one another dearly. Nicasio used to […]

The Support Nancy Needed

Nancy, 10, was born with spina bifida, a condition in which the spine and spinal cord do not form properly while in the womb. She has never been able to walk. Kenya is home to almost 56 million people, and nearly one million of them live with a disability. Shockingly, over one-third of these cases […]

“Safe and Respectable”

David, 19, lives with his parents and siblings in a small town on the northeastern coast of Peru. His father earns a living as a motorcycle taxi driver while his mother works at the local market. When he was just out of high school, David was robbed at gunpoint and shot. The bullet lodged in […]

Irum’s Story

Over the past few months, Pakistan has been devastated by historic flooding that has taken more than a thousand lives and left thousands more without homes. Would you pray with us for Pakistan, a country close to our hearts? For over 14 years, Free Wheelchair Mission has distributed more than 34,000 wheelchairs in Pakistan through our local distribution […]

“A Better Quality of Life”

Michael had no idea he’d be taking his last few steps when he got out of bed that morning. He earned a living as a day laborer on a banana farm in Costa Rica and was on his way to work, riding in the back of a pickup truck, when another vehicle slammed into it. The impact sent […]

“I Don’t Need to Be Helped Anymore”

Kaley Tamang is a 55-year-old man who lives with his wife, Kali, and his father in the mountains of Nepal. Together, they earn a living by operating a small grocery stand. When he was 29 years old, Kaley suffered a stroke that left him unable to feel anything on the right side of his body. His […]

“A Huge Positive Impact”

A Report from Haiti When a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Haiti last August, Free Wheelchair Mission set out to send 2,500 wheelchairs to Haiti, and you responded. Thanks to the generosity of friends like you, we have since shipped seven containers of wheelchairs to our primary distribution partners in Haiti, Food For the Poor and […]

“I Am Able to Accomplish More”

Peter, 30, is the youngest of six children. In 2009, he was working as a mason at a university in Kenya when he fell from the third floor of a building, sustaining a spinal cord injury that caused paralysis of his lower body. Peter spent three months in the hospital before going home to Gakoye Village. He […]

“Not on the Ground”

As events continue to unfold in Ukraine, would you continue to keep the people and the situation in prayer? In this story that aired on NBC News on March 9, 2022, a Ukrainian family is interviewed while recovering in a Kyiv hospital. The father is using one of our GEN_2 wheelchairs, which one of our former distribution partners provided to […]

Keep Ukraine in Prayer

Would you keep in prayer all who are affected by the developments unfolding in Ukraine, including our former distribution partners? Over the years, Free Wheelchair Mission has distributed nearly 16,000 wheelchairs in Ukraine through organizations including Mission Eurasia, which was still giving away wheelchairs from our last shipment to them but has had to pause […]

A Life Transformed, Forever

Kwezi, 55, is a husband and father who lives in western Uganda. When he was a young child, he contracted polio, affecting his ability to walk on two feet. He has been walking on all fours ever since. Kwezi makes a modest living by repairing shoes and could not afford to buy a wheelchair on such a […]

Providing New Opportunities

Quynh is a 19-year-old who lives in Vietnam. She has never been able to stand or walk because of a congenital condition. Her father cannot walk, either. Without mobility, Quynh would often crawl on the ground to get from place to place. Her family tried their best to provide her with an education, but without […]

Hidden Surprise

Meet Miguel, a 22-year-old who lives with his sister and mother in Nicaragua. He was named in honor of his father, who supported the family as a farmer. One afternoon, his mother Juana found little Miguel convulsing on the ground, suffering from a high fever. Overwhelmed with desperation, Juana picked him up and started walking for […]

“Waiting and Trusting”

Dorcas, 23, is the oldest of nine children, born to a farmer’s family in rural Bomet County, Kenya. She has lived with a disability for most of her life. Without mobility, Dorcas would need help from her mother and younger brothers to get from place to place. Throughout the years, various people and organizations would promise to […]

Beyond Happy

A Story from Peru Zaid is a six-year-old boy who lives with his parents and three brothers in provincial Peru. When Zaid was 10 months old, he suffered a stomach infection that spurred an illness that doctors could not diagnose. Meanwhile, this motor disease progressively weakened his muscles and Zaid eventually lost mobility. Every morning, Zaid’s two older brothers would help […]

Solange gets fitted with a new wheelchair in Haiti.

Urgent Needs in Haiti

What a difficult week this has been for so many around the world. Our prayers are with the people of Afghanistan, a country we once served, delivering more than 4,400 wheelchairs to people living with disabilities there. We also ask for continued prayers for the people of Haiti, which was hit by a devastating magnitude […]

“How Would My Life Be Without This?”

Rucogoza is a 45-year-old man who lives in rural Rwanda. About 13 years ago, he began to develop paralysis in both legs, and despite the treatment he received, his legs continued to weaken. He can no longer stand or walk and uses his hands to help move from place to place. Rucogoza lives alone. His […]

Pray for Haiti

Over the past several days, the situation in Haiti has continued to deteriorate. The country was still reeling in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake that struck in 2010 when COVID-19 hit, with almost 20,000 confirmed cases and hundreds of deaths. Then, the country was further rocked by violence and political instability, culminating in Wednesday’s […]

A map of Costa Rica, where Ericka is from.

Meet Ericka

Ericka (39) was born in Nicaragua and now lives in neighboring Costa Rica. When she was just 20 years old, Ericka was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, a progressive autoimmune disease. She has gradually lost mobility to chronic pain ever since but has never let this condition defeat her. Ericka went on to get married and […]

India on Our Hearts

We invite you to join us in prayer for the people of India as they endure a devastating surge in COVID-19 infections, with more than 20 million cases as of this writing. India holds a special place in our hearts at Free Wheelchair Mission. It is where we gave away our first four wheelchairs over […]

He Never Gave Up Hope

A Story from Uganda Peter and his twin brother were born 81 years ago, but only Peter survived, and he had paralysis of the legs. Without any mobility aids, Peter could not easily get to school, so his parents taught him at home and gave him a fourth-grade education. His parents worked hard to save […]

Mario, a retired pastor in Nicaragua, praises God after receiving a new wheelchair.

“There Is Much We Can Do”

Mario (66) has long been familiar with the impact that disabilities can have. After serving faithfully as the pastor of a small church in Nicaragua for over 40 years, he was forced to retire when complications from diabetes led to infections and the amputation of both legs. He has also been losing his eyesight. Now, his wife Selina makes […]

Out of the Darkness

Diomede (59) has hardly ever been outdoors for the better part of 10 years. A terrible road accident left him with paralysis from the waist down. He couldn’t move without assistance, and at 154 pounds, he was too heavy for anyone to carry. Unable to cope with their new reality, Diomede’s wife abandoned him and […]

Samuel, a 14-year-old boy in India who received a new wheelchair

“The Hope That We Have”

Samuel (14, India) was a healthy child and lived like any other boy his age, playing with his friends and playing hide-and-seek in their dense, urban neighborhood. But that all changed when he was in third grade.He was out with his mother, father, and sister when he started feeling very weak. His feet began twisting […]

Ivan, who lives with brittle bone disease, being carried by his mother over rocky terrain.

“Now, My Mother Can Rest”

Ivan is a 13-year-old boy who lives in Palca, a small village nestled in the hills of Honduras that can only be reached by rocky dirt roads. He lives with his parents and two sisters in a modest home made of adobe walls and cement floors. When he was four, Ivan was diagnosed with osteogenesis […]

Gift, a precious girl from South Sudan who now lives in a refugee camp in Uganda.

A Gift for Gift

Her parents had the perfect name for her. When they first laid eyes on their beautiful baby girl, they named her Gift. Gift was born with no hands or feet. When she was still a toddler, her parents took her and fled from their home in South Sudan due to violent conflict and deteriorating conditions. […]

Juliana, who cannot see, hear, or walk, in Brazil.

Giving Thanks

This year, we have so much to be thankful for at Free Wheelchair Mission, especially in light of the challenges we have all faced during this pandemic. With your prayers and support, we have been able to continue serving individuals in need of mobility in developing countries. One of them is Juliana, a 43-year-old in […]

Darcy, a 10 year old in Burundi, had his legs amputated when he was four.

“Free to Go Where I Want”

Darcy (10) is the third of eight children. They live with their loving parents in the hills of rural Burundi. When Darcy was four years old, his legs were amputated after tumors were found on them. He has never had any mobility aids, so his mother would carry him to school each day. He loves […]

This son and father lost mobility while trying to make a living catching seafood.

Wheelchairs for Alfonso and His Dad

Alfonso (28) and his father, Sergio (48), climbed into a small sailboat on the coast of Nicaragua one day, like they did every day, setting out into the waters of the Atlantic. They are members of the Miskito indigenous community, a significant percentage of whom make a living as lobster divers. It’s dangerous work, requiring […]

Rocio, a young mother, receives a new wheelchair in Peru.

“This Act of Love”

High up in the Andes Mountains of Peru, in a small village at the end of a winding dirt road, lives a 33-year-old woman named Roció. Roció contracted polio at the age of six. She walks with great difficulty, using a stick for support, and has never had a wheelchair before. This tenacious young mother […]

A young boy receives a new wheelchair in Rwanda

“Love and Hope to Others”

“Life was hectic,” expressed Odetta, a 38-year-old mother in Rwanda. Not only does she have her hands full raising four kids, ages three to 12, she also serves as the full-time caregiver to her 14-year-old brother, Ildephonse. Ildephonse needs help walking, and with Odetta and her husband always being occupied with providing for the family’s […]

Thi, a woman who received a new wheelchair in Vietnam

Reigniting Her Spirits

A Story from Vietnam Thi grew up in the remote hills of Quang Ngai, a coastal province in Vietnam where leafy green mountains ease into plains that meet the sea. Life was beautiful, in her own words. She’d play outdoors with her friends and neighbors, and travel the countryside with her parents and siblings. But […]

A wheelchair distribution in Rutenga, Zimbabwe

Widows in Their Distress

A Friday Story from Zimbabwe Mrs. Gonamombe lives a hardscrabble existence with her four sons in Rutenga village, Zimbabwe. The three oldest—Namo (25), Rapson (22), and Richard (20)—were born with Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, a hereditary condition that has damaged the nerves in their arms and legs. Unable to walk, they were forced to crawl on the […]

A 12-year-old boy in El Salvador gets a new wheelchair.

Part of Society

A Story From El Salvador Brayan (12, El Salvador) was a healthy, precocious child who liked to run, jump, and climb, up until the age of two. That’s when he started feeling pain in his joints. His muscles grew weak and he felt discomfort in his spine. Brayan would eventually lose mobility to inflammatory myopathies, […]

The Exponential Power of Giving

One Wheelchair Recipient’s Response to the Pandemic With #GivingTuesdayNow just around the corner on May 5th, I thought I’d share an encouraging update from a wheelchair recipient who is now giving back to the community in response to COVID-19. Linh was born 40 years ago in Ai Nghia, a village near the eastern coast of […]

“It is Quite Tough”

A Report from Miss Wheelchair Kenya 2019 We continue to keep you in our prayers, and we invite you to join us in prayer for all of the Free Wheelchair Mission family, especially the communities we serve. While we are thankful for some improving news on COVID-19 here in America, it continues to be a […]

A Good Friday Reflection

As I reflect on Good Friday today, when many of us are staying home due to COVID-19, I think of a woman in South Africa named Rose. A widow with no children, Rose has been living at a home for the elderly in Soweto Township, South Africa, for the past two years. On March 14th, she celebrated […]

Our Work in China Continues

Ming, a 59-year-old grandfather, had always been a hard worker. He made a living as a farmer, working a small plot of land in a village nestled in the rocky hills of the Chinese countryside. But five years ago, an accident left Ming unable to walk, forcing him to stop working. Ming would be confined […]

Sabrina, a woman with osteoporosis, in a wheelchair, in Peru

City on a Hill

Last fall, a team from Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church (MDPC) in Houston, Texas, embarked on a vision trip to Peru, where they connected with our local distribution partner, Camino de Vida Church (CDV). As they trekked up a steep hillside one morning, a member of CDV explained that the higher you go, the greater the […]

Now, Esmilda can go to school

Fourteen years ago, in Nicaragua, a young woman named Rosa cradled her crying newborn—her first child—and instantly fell in love. She named the baby girl Esmilda. Rosa had given birth at home, in one of the most difficult places to access in Nicaragua: an indigenous village, located a full day’s journey from the capital city, […]

Blessings for Blessing

Blessing Nyambuke is a beautiful six-year-old girl from Machakos town, in Kenya. She was born with a condition known as amelia, with no arms and shortened legs. Life has been challenging for Blessing and her parents, but she hasn’t let disability hold her back. She learned how to use her feet the way her friends […]

“Perfect for Me”

Juan Manuel was only a year old when the fire broke out. He was healthy. He was active. He was his parents’ pride and joy — their lively firstborn son. They were snuggled up in bed one night, fast asleep, when a spark ignited the dry wooden slats of their urban home in El Salvador. […]

“I’m a Champion”

“I play tennis.” That’s the first thing Ruth, a 32-year-old woman in Chennai, India, said to us. “I’m a champion. And so is my husband.” Both Ruth and her husband live with disabilities. As a baby, Ruth contracted polio, which affected her right leg. For years, she could walk with some assistance, but this became […]

The Trip of a Lifetime

Isabella was visibly nervous. She hadn’t been out of her house in years. She was 98 years old. A great-grandmother. And she lives with dementia. Her own safety was one reason that her family kept her at home in Machachi, a town surrounded by volcanoes 20 miles south of Quito, Ecuador. Another reason is that […]

New Reasons to Smile

Nakiwe searched everywhere for her favorite shirt. It was pink—her favorite color. She usually knew where to find it, in a basket of folded clothes that she kept near her bed, but it wasn’t there. Then, she remembered that she had washed it a few days earlier and had her mother hang it out to […]