ONE DONATION, TWICE THE IMPACT

This amazing match funding opportunity means that your support will go twice as far towards supporting our disability projects in Haiti, South Sudan and Uganda. We're also incredibly excited to have the support of British Paralympic gold medalist, Ellie Simmonds, who will be championing our work on national radio in the UK. Ellie says:

"Disability should not stop you doing anything, and HHA is working to make that a reality for everyone, wherever they live. What I love about them is that they support the whole person, their family, and their community."

⁠With a new chapter beginning in Haiti, and demand for our projects greater than ever in East Africa, this an incredible opportunity to raise vital funds and awareness, propelling us forward with momentum as we continue to transform lives.

Loku's Story – Uganda

Loku is a South Sudanese refugee with a disability. When HHA first met him, he had to crawl on the ground to get around, and was in extreme poverty: his family were living on one meal a day, and he couldn’t afford to send his children to school.

HHA gave Loku a wheelchair, which enabled him to move around with dignity. We also provided him with seeds, training and land, so that he could begin to grow his own food.

When he first began farming, his neighbours laughed and mocked him, asking “how can a cripple cultivate?”. But when the time came to harvest the land, Loku had such success that, as well as being able to feed his family three meals per day, he could also sell some crops. He used that income to send his children to school, and to buy goats and sheep – another source of food and income. The neighbours that had mocked him apologized, and even asked for his help, because their own harvests had been poorer than his.

Kendley's Story – Haiti

Kendley is 20 years old, and from Cap Haitien. Two years ago, he was hit by a stray bullet that left him paralysed. For over a year following his injury, Kendley searched desperately for treatment. He was turned away from every facility he went to, told that they couldn’t offer care for spinal cord injuries (SCIs). Without therapy, he could not even sit up, and spent all his time lying down inside his home. He was isolated, lonely, and vulnerable.

Then Kendley heard about HHA, and the only facility offering SCI rehabilitation in the north of the country. It changed everything.

Kendley started physical therapy, and regained the ability to sit up - a huge step. He was given a wheelchair, which provided him with mobility and independence, and was taught how to use his chair and adjust to this new way of living life. He met and spent time with other patients with SCIs, and started vocational training, learning how to make shoes in the workshop at the hospital. All of this gave him hope for the future, helping him to see opportunities beyond his injury.

Michael's Story – SOUTH SUDAN

Michael lives in Kajo-Keji - a region of South Sudan that was devastated by the civil war. Michael was diagnosed with leprosy as a child, and lives with his wife, who is blind.

Life is not easy for Michael and his wife. Like many people in the region, they rely on farming to feed themselves and their family. This is particularly challenging for Michael, who has complex deformities in his hands and feet as a result of his illness.

When our community outreach team first met Michael, he had an infected wound on his foot, which he had cut with a hoe when tending to his crops. He had been farming barefoot because he couldn’t afford specialised shoes to fit his feet.

Our team treated and dressed Michael’s wound, and our shoe-maker measured him for a pair of custom-made leprosy shoes – his first ever pair of shoes. He couldn’t stop smiling.

While Michael was grateful for his new shoes, he was most thankful for the time and attention that our team devoted to him. He told us that he had never felt so cared for and valued.

LOUDJINA'S Story – Haiti

Loudjina is 17 years old and has cerebral palsy. Her parents died when she was young, and she’s been looked after by her grandmother ever since. When we first met her, she was six years old, had never been to school, and couldn’t walk. She dragged herself along the ground to get around.

We enrolled Loudjina at our home for children with disabilities. This not only provided her with the specialized care she needed, but also gave her grandmother valuable support and respite from being Loudjina’s full-time carer.

At our respite home, Loudjina receives physical therapy, which has enabled her to walk, as well as do daily activities independently, like dressing and eating. She also gets education – though she struggles to speak, she’s incredibly intelligent, and understands almost everything. She’s excelling at school, and last year even did a vocational internship, which gave her invaluable skills, experience, and confidence. Thanks to the care she’s received, she’s grown into a bright, independent young woman, with opportunities and hope for the future.