A DIY wheelchair project using Canadian Factory-In-A-Box
The Rotary Club of Burlington, Ontario, knew that it could design and productionize an innovative wheelchair that could be manufactured in developing countries.
Their new wheelchair was displayed at the 2019 RI Convention in Toronto, with its marketing message ….
“Produce This Wheelchair in Your Country … Using the Canadian Factory-in-a-Box”.
Rotarian Joseph from the Rotary Club of Muyenga in Uganda visited the display and told Peter French that the chair was “the answer to their dream” … a dream clearly stated in the long range plans of the Katalemwa Cheshire Home (KCH) for Rehabilitation Services in Kampala.
Katalemwa operates an orthopedic clinic and workshop that makes mobility aids for the young people of East Africa. KCH is a charity supported by the RC of Muyenga. Their dream is to increase production, have profitable sales and end their dependency on outside funding, while helping many more disabled people.
Over 3 years later with Rotary’s help, the Katalemwa workshops have been renovated and reequipped. The wheelchair is designed for simplistic manufacturing and the core of this new facility and production methods is a computer-controlled drilling/milling machine.
During June and July, two wonderful young men from Uganda have been at McMaster Engineering learning how to operate the new machine tool and assemble the new product. Akram Semwanga and William Semuyaba will soon be returning home, very confident to start up production after our 6 week, wheelchair focused, training program.
An original idea by a Rotarian, a Global Grant from TRF, 3 years with members of a supporting Burlington Club and an amazing desire to learn by new friends from the other side of the world is what Rotary is all about.
Submitted by Peter French
Rotary Club of Burlington