July Newsletter

Below is one of the stories included in the July Newsletter. Make sure to read the rest about the Miracle happening in Kampala. Then scroll down and see the next post. They are out of order, but probably in the right order for understanding our excitement as to God is up to with His Wheels. You can read the July Newsletter by clicking here.

COVID – 19 Cancellation

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were preparing to send a trike to STARS Uganda in July, via College Church, Wheaton’s short-term mission team. This delivery was extra special because Nancy, a physical therapist who has been an integral part of our HWI trike team,was leading the trip. She was delivering it to Sylvia Kalyebara, the Founder of STARS Uganda, and a friend of His Wheels and Nancy.

I met Sylvia Kalyebara, a Social Worker, over a decade ago when she arrived in the USA, to join her husband, Nick, who was studying at Wheaton College. As Sylvia and I were forming a friendship, from the moment she learned about HWI and our trike, she began asking herself, “Where are all those with disabilities in Uganda?”

Knowing Sylvia had a growing interest in learning more about serving those with disabilities, I introduced her to College Church’s STARS program, and to Nancy. When Sylvia returned to Uganda, she began STARS Uganda, a Christian non-governmental organization, for walking alongside people affected by disabilities. I continue to encourage and advise Sylvia, through prayer, emails, etc. Nancy has also encouraged Sylvia in countless ways, including visiting her in Uganda.

Kasimu, a seven-year-old Ugandan, was to receive the trike. He recently said to his mother, who was limiting his crawling around to play, “Mom . . . I am not lame; just let me play with my friend. Do you expect me to play on your back all day?” When I heard this story, I thought about how much independence, freedom and mobility the trike will bring him. It would get him off his mom’s back, that’s for sure!

First Trike Built in Uganda

Celebrate with us at His Wheels International. Our first trike is well on the way to being completed in Kampala Uganda by Ideas Workshop. Jon and his team at Ideas Workshop has been working closely with Vadim, one of His Wheels board members and our team to work through the glitches. Jon’s team has built this trike off the blueprints only from our website, without having a model to study while building. Great job Team Ideas Workshop. Pray with us that this trike will be the beginning of getting trikes throughout East Africa and beyond.

Learn more about Ideas Workshop by clicking here.

December Newsletter 2019

Read our most recent December Newsletter 2019 and learn about what is happening with His Wheels

(Left) Two trikes were sent from Illinois with Joel to Tanzania as extra luggage in May 2019.
(Below) David, the engineer from Arusha, Tanzania (7 hour car drive from Dodoma) who works in the Arusha Vocational Technical School came to assist Joel in assembling the trikes. David’s specialty is motorized trikes for cargo purposes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

Joel’s smile says it all!

Today’s email connection

Today His Wheels International received the following email. “Hello. I am an RN and the President of a non profit charity . . . making a big impact in resource limited areas in Africa. In November 2019 our team will travel to northern Ghana to start a project called the ‘Ability Project'” They partner with an ngo there and have been talking about trying to build hand-pedaled tricycles as the need is great and they are very difficult to find. She has acessed the HWI’s blueprints and wondered if we have a trike to send with them. She wrote, “Thank you for what you are doing! L”
 
After talking by phone, we shared our trike coloring book pages and our first hand-pedaled trike children’s story for them to use as they also do disability awareness and literacy