New Wheelchairs, New Possibilities for Kadie & Mia
- The Raining Season
- 8 hours ago
- 4 min read
For many children with special needs in Sierra Leone, there is no hope. However, The Raining Season is a refuge. It is a place that welcomes ALL children with open arms. At The Raining Season, The Hope Room is an apartment solely dedicated to caring for and nurturing children with special needs. The Hope Room provides a safe place for children to be loved, well cared for, included, and given opportunities to reach their potential.
That is why The Hope Apartment is such an important part of life at The Covering. The children receive specialized nutrition, medical care, and individualized attention from aunties who are trained to understand and meet their physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs. But the Hope Apartment is more than a place where children receive care. It is a place where they are known, loved, celebrated, and given opportunities to participate in the life of The Raining Season.
In June, the addition of two new wheelchairs meant new opportunities for two of our children with special needs, Kadie and Mia.
Kadie came to The Raining Season in 2017. Today, she is ten years old. As Kadie has grown, it has become increasingly difficult to move her around The Covering. A wheelchair would give her greater independence and make it easier for her to get out of the Hope Apartment and participate in activities throughout the compound.
A special donor provided funds specifically so that Kadie could receive a wheelchair. While some items are more affordable to bring from the United States, in this case it was actually less expensive to purchase her wheelchair in Sierra Leone.
Auntie Geraldine ordered Kadie’s wheelchair through World Hope International. When they went to pick it up, they learned that several other wheelchairs had recently arrived. The World Hope team asked Auntie Geraldine if TRS had any other children who could benefit from one, and she immediately thought of Mia.
Mia also came to The Raining Season in 2017 as an infant. Today, she is nine years old and has very little mobility. World Hope International has generously donated several pieces of equipment to support Mia over the years, but her very own wheelchair is a true blessing.
Mia’s new wheelchair is quite different from a traditional wheelchair. It has a sturdy metal frame with one wheel in the front and two wheels in the back. When they delivered the wheelchair, World Hope International made modifications and adjustments so that it would fit Mia securely and meet her specific needs.
When they first placed Mia in the chair, they were excited to see that her legs could be stretched over the sides. The sturdy frame provides support while the front wheel gives her stability. Most importantly, because her body is supported so well, Mia’s posture and head control improved noticeably while she was sitting in the chair. It is a wonderful example of how the right equipment can do more than simply help a child get from one place to another. It can open up new opportunities for movement, interaction, and participation.
Of course, the arrival of the new wheelchairs called for a celebration! Kadie and Mia took their new chairs for a parade around the compound at The Covering. They were able to move through the spaces where the other children play, learn, and spend their days. Kadie especially enjoyed all the attention!
These simple moments are important. The wheelchairs mean that Kadie and Mia are less confined to their apartments and can more easily be part of the activities and community around them. They can get outside, interact with other children and staff, and experience more of the everyday life happening at The Raining Season.
It helps make The Covering a more inclusive environment, and one where every child has the opportunity to participate.
During the June team’s visit, something else stood out about the Hope Apartment. Everyone seemed especially engaged with the children there. The children in the Hope Apartment were happy and engaged. They were spending time on the front porch and interacting with the people around them. There was a sense that they were not simply being cared for, but that they were truly part of the community at The Covering, and that is the heart of what we hope for at The Raining Season.
The goal is not simply to meet a child’s physical needs. It is to create opportunities for children to experience joy, develop their abilities, participate in community, and reach their potential.
For Kadie and Mia, these new wheelchairs are helping make that possible in a very tangible way. A wheelchair may seem like a simple piece of equipment, but for these two girls, it represents so much more: more mobility, more opportunities, and more moments of being included in the life of The Raining Season.
We are incredibly grateful to the special donor who provided the funds that made Kadie’s wheelchair possible. We are also thankful to World Hope International for donating Mia’s wheelchair and taking the time to make the modifications needed to fit her securely. We are grateful that the Lord continues to work through others to provide for the needs of our children. What a blessing it is to see Him use the generosity and compassion of others to bring new possibilities and joy to the children of The Raining Season.
Many blessings,
The Raining Season
