Charity Brings Aid to Disabled Ghanaians

The Q’Straint Community Centre, Kpone Tema, Ghana.

Disabled people in Ghana are benefiting from recycled mobility equipment, courtesy of a new facility run by a Canterbury-based charity with the support of a wheelchair passenger safety specialist company.

Disabled Equipment Sent Overseas (DESO) is run by Mavis and Eddie Hyde who, despite both being in their 70s, regularly travel and live in deprived areas of Ghana, assisting the most vulnerable disabled members of society. Since 2006, the charity has managed to send one 40ft shipping container per year to Ghana containing crutches, walking sticks, wheelchairs, Braille books, typewriters, visually impaired equipment, continence products, hearing aids and tools.

DESO recently purchased land to build a new community facility thanks to financial support from Whitstable-based Q’Straint. The fully accessible Q’Straint Tema Community Centre will provides a drop-in day centre for activities such as teaching, sewing, discussion groups, medical advice and basic nursing. It also provides a home for several local residents who were previously living on the street and completely destitute.

Mike Simmonds, Q’Straint Managing Director said: “Q’Straint is delighted to be helping make such a huge difference to the local community in Kpone, Tema. We have had a relationship with DESO for three years now and continue to admire the commitment of Mavis and Eddie who provide an absolutely essential role in improving the lives of so many less able individuals.”

Mavis Hyde added: “The opportunity given to us by Mike of Q’Straint to purchase land in Tema, and subsequently build a new community centre, means so much to us and will give countless deprived and disabled Ghanians independence for generations to come.”

More: www.desouk.org, www.qstraint.com