Wheelchairs Bless the Lives of Individuals with Disabilities in Liberia

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On 26 January 2024, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated wheelchairs and artificial limbs to many disabled individuals in Monrovia, Liberia. The donation was made at the Monrovia Rehabilitation Center (MRC) within the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital compound. 

The activity began with a week-long training of volunteers in Basic Level Wheelchair Training Course at the Congo Town Stake Center in Monrovia and was climaxed with a short certification program of participants who underwent the training in the MRC's building at the JFK medical hospital in Monrovia.

Richard Goddard and Misha Bradford, from Church Humanitarian Services, conducted the training and facilitated the donation process with Ezra Taft Otoo, Humanitarian Services Specialist for the Africa West Area of the Church.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has donated over 550,000 wheelchairs in 128 countries. In conjunction with volunteers and local partners, the Church works to identify people in need, provide training for local medical personnel, and train recipients on proper usage and maintenance of the wheelchairs. The goal is to create long-term self-reliance and help communities thrive by helping people face their challenges.

Speaking on behalf of the Church at the donation ceremony, Brother Otoo praised the recipients, the MRC, and the hospital staff for working together with the Church to gain success for this program in Liberia.  

“We hope that our relationship has been good and will continue to be good, and we hope that the little that we have done for our brothers and sisters will bring relief and a greater sense of self confidence to them,” he said.

Attending the donation and certification ceremony was Dama Yekeson Kofa, CEO for administration at the JFK Hospital, and Dorbor M. Akoi Sr., project director for the MRC.

Madam Kofa thanked the Church for its numerous contributions to the hospital and to Liberia at large. She said that the Church continues to be a big part of the success and growth of the hospital, noting the Church’s contribution to the JFK maternity center and the assistance rendered the facility during the Ebola crisis in 2014.

"We're extremely grateful to you for the work you do in Liberia," she added. "Please continue to pour out your heart because only God can give you back."

The MRC will continue to engage in identifying needy individuals and training them for donations in the coming weeks. People in need will work with physical therapists to ensure that their new wheelchairs fit and that they are knowledgeable in how to use them.

According to Mr. Akoi, the donated wheelchairs came in different types, which included cross terrain, pediatric, active, and standard, among others. He noted that this will give them the flexibility to find the right wheelchair for each individual.

One of the recipients was an 8-year-old boy who was born with one leg. He expressed his joy for the new artificial leg given to him by the Church, adding that the donation will now enable him to play freely with his friends.