Mohamed lives with his family in Djenne, Central Mali. He has four brothers and seven sisters. Coming from a large, loving family, Mohamed was surrounded with love and affection right from his birth.
A wheelchair brings new freedom and hope for Mohamed
Like many other children his age, Mohamed enjoys playing, going to school and having fun with his friends. However, he was not always free to move around as he wished.
Mohamed was born with a condition that affected his mobility from an early age. To get around, he would drag himself along the ground, or receive support from his brothers or mother to move.
There was a time when Mohamed attended school, but the difficulties associated with getting there meant that he eventually dropped out. “The school is far from our neighbourhood, 2km away. It wasn't easy to get there at all,” he says.
Mohamed’s family provided him with unwavering support to help him live as well as possible despite his mobility limitations. But the situation caused his mother great distress, as she felt powerless to help her son. “It was very hard for me to see Mohamed stop going to school. I couldn't afford to buy him a wheelchair,” she says.
Mohamed's case was identified by the Norwegian Refugee Council’s (NRC) education team during a needs assessment. They referred him to the protection team for appropriate care. Through this integrated approach, we provided cash assistance to purchase a wheelchair so that Mohamed could get around easily.
I take part in games and go to classes regularly, just like my classmatesMohamed
His mother's face lit up with joy when she heard the news. “Mohamed really needed a means of transport, and this wheelchair will ensure he attends school more regularly,” she says.
After receiving the wheelchair, Mohamed immediately resumed his classes. Now he often goes to play with his friends. “I take part in games and go to classes regularly, just like my classmates and other children my age,” says Mohamed.
Mohamed has big dreams for his future. “I would like to continue my studies and eventually work to support my family,” he says.
This assistance was provided as part of a project called “Integrated approach to meet the needs of populations affected by the crisis in the Mopti and Timbuktu regions”, funded through the Swedish International development and Cooperation Agency.
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