Motivation - is a UK charity providing support and training to disability charities in the developing world, which has teamed up with the Colin Javens Spinal Injury Trust for the African Expedition.
Funds have already been raised for the following projects, which Colin will visit as part of the expedition. We will update with reports on each project following these visits.

Kenya Paraplegic Organisation
The Kenyan Paraplegic Organization (KPO) is a local non-governmental organization (NGO) registered in April 2004. The organization was formed to undertake alternative initiatives in respect to paraplegics and support all matters pertaining to them. KPO’s major role is to assist persons with Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) and other physical disabilities to achieve independence, self-reliance and full community participation.  Their priority is to reach out and respond to the needs of all people with spinal cord injuries and their families.

http://www.kenyanparaplegic.org

The Trust has helped fund 6 wheelchairs and some urinary equipment for its members.  As a new organisation we also paid for 2 members to visit and learn from the work of KASI.

Kilimanjaro Association of the Spinally Injured
KASI are a group of spinal cord injured men and women in the Moshi region of Tanzania, near the famous Kilimanjaro mountain. KASI is run entirely by disabled people themselves. The organisation has been supported by Motivation, the UK development organisation which promotes appropriate wheelchair technologies. Motivation run a Wheelchair Technologist Training Course at the nearby Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre. KASI aims to promote inclusion of disabled people into society, and to develop projects which enable wheelchair users to become economically self-sufficient. The KASI mission statement is: "To effectively facilitate the rehabilitation and social reintegration of people with spinal cord injuries and to work to prevent new injuries”.

http://www.windmills.u-net.com/kasi.htm

The Trust, on advice from KASI, has funded tie dye training to enable spinally injured women to retrain and begin a new business.  We have also provided urinary equipment, and are supporting the local wheelchair builder.

DISACARE
Based in Lusaka in Zambia, DISACRE is a wheelchair building and training centre which has worked with wheelchair users from across Africa. Low cost wheelchairs are made from local materials, which are suitable for the terrain in which they will be used, and the people who will use them are often involved in the production. The center has been in existence since 1991, and has over the years worked with a number of international organizations involved in wheelchair and mobility aids technology. As a result of this work Disacare is now producing mobility aids which are designed to specifically cope with the rough Zambian terrain.
Disacare throughout the years has prided itself on providing not only quality and durable mobility aids but promoting ‘independent living for the physically challenged’ as well. This has immensely benefited persons with disabilities who have become entrepreneurs and business owners.
The Trust has worked with Disacare and will be funding 8 wheelchairs for named schoolchildren.  All wheelchairs are locally built.  We have also contacted PWC in Zambia who have agreed to also help support the work of Disacare.