Wheels for the world program 2026 in Rwanda

Kigali, Rwanda – In a continued effort to improve community well-being and support people with disabilities, the Presbyterian Church in Rwanda (EPR), in partnership with Joni and Friends, distributed wheelchairs and crutches to beneficiaries from various regions and religious backgrounds in Rwamagana, Kicukiro, and Nyarugenge Districts.

The initiative aims to help beneficiaries live more independently, move more freely, and take part more fully in daily life. By providing these mobility aids, EPR and Joni and Friends hope to reduce the barriers that often prevent people with disabilities from accessing public spaces and participating in activities essential to their well-being.

Speaking on behalf of Nyarugenge District, Deputy Executive Administrator Genevieve UWAMAHORO thanked EPR for its long-standing and reliable partnership with the district. She noted that initiatives of this kind play a vital role in addressing the challenges facing residents, particularly people with disabilities, and described the mobility aids as a meaningful contribution to improving beneficiaries’ life.

“We thank EPR for being a strong partner to the Government, especially to Nyarugenge District,” she said. “This initiative will support people facing these challenges, while also relieving parents who have had to carry their children constantly, leaving them little time for anything else. These wheelchairs will make a real difference in their daily lives.”

She also appreciated the EPR strategy of inclusive approach to community service extending support to people of different faiths and circumstances rather than limiting assistance to a single group. She further highlighted the presence of a medical professional at the event as a distinctive strength of the initiative, noting that it ensured beneficiaries received equipment suited to their individual needs, along with proper guidance on how to use it.

Beneficiaries expressed deep gratitude to EPR and Joni and Friends, saying the mobility aids would allow them to move more freely, access more places, and participate more actively in family and community life. Several parents of children with disabilities said the equipment would free up time they had previously spent constantly repositioning or carrying their children time they could now devote to other responsibilities.

The initiative highlighted the value of collaboration between local government, faith-based organizations, and development partners in addressing community challenges sustainably and promoting the rights and dignity of people with disabilities.