Motivated by the huge numbers of people who need wheelchairs in the world, Cambridge members wanted to join forces with other clubs who have helped the disabled become abled. ALEM, in Mexico has a proven program to go a step further by training and employing disabled persons to repair wheelchairs in Mexico.The Cambridge Club used the power of a district grant and donations to expand the program by asking "Club Rotario Cuernavaca Juarez, Mexico" to support us to help ALEM do more to expand their reach. Their idea was to conduct wheelchair maintenance workshop sessions at various cities, including Poza Rica, Veracruz; Cuernavaca, Morelos; and Taxco, Guerrero on the day before the repair days. A district grant was approved to both buy needed parts for repairing 500 wheelchairs and to train disabled persons how to repair the chars and set up a repair workshop. The Cambridge Rotary Club donated $2550 and the following clubs also donated funds: Boston, Marblehead, Marblehead Harbor and individual Rotarians from Cambridge. For a total of $4460 which was matched by the District.
For more inspiration, check out the FB page and new video. "Enchulame la Silla" Facebook page (means something like "Jazz my Chair" but it is more catchy in Spanish): https://www.facebook.com/enchulamelasilla/
You also must see this 52 second video done in December: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PahqVzYKGIM
The plan is to repeat this experience 25 times across central Mexico this year while covering the cost of parts for repairing 500 wheelchairs. (The club on the ground in Mexico is called "Club Rotario Cuernavaca Juarez", We have already offered the wheelchair maintenance workshop in Poza Rica, Veracruz; Cuernavaca, Morelos; and Taxco, Guerrero.