The Oregon-Costa Rica Partners of the Americas would like to send a container of used wheelchairs and medical equipment from Oregon to Costa Rica. These are wheelchairs no longer used by children in Oregon but will be used in Costa Rica. United Cerebral Palsy’s Wheels for Humanity rehabilitates the used chairs.
All funds will be used to pay for shipping the rehabilitated wheelchairs from the UCP facility in California to Costa Rica where they will be fitted to children with severe physical handicaps. These used chairs will not be reused in Oregon and would otherwise go to a landfill.

This program serves severely disabled children in primarily rural Costa Rica who otherwise would not have a wheelchair. The waiting list in Costa Rica is a minimum of three years so these children cannot leave their house to go to school, visit a doctor, etc. Their social development is severely hampered by not having the ability to be mobile. As children get larger, they outgrow their existing wheelchair and need a replacement. Until their new wheelchair comes, they are stuck in the house or have to have a family member carry them everywhere. This program gives them the gift of mobility: the ability to fully participate in school, church, and community life. They become part of their community once again and are not shut away in their home.

Community member details not available yet.

Direct Impact of Your Project

Approximately 50 used wheelchairs are being sent to Costa Rica. These would normally go to the landfill.
The value of these wheelchairs is $250,000

Extended Impact on Your Partner Community

Severely handicapped children in Costa Rica will be able to participate more fully in the social life of their community. They will be able to keep up with their peers in school and not have to wait three years for their new wheelchair to arrive. Their families members will no longer be obliged to carry the child everywhere he needs to go. The life of the child and the entire community where they live will be improved.