Policeman, public relations officer, social worker, counsellor, father, husband and more recently owner of the much coveted Legs4Africa Gold Badge. Since playing a key role in the GAA’s inception four years back Alieu Touray has been tirelessly dedicated to the progress of amputees within Gambian society. “ To be a part of such an association is an interest of the … Read More
GAFT Take Banjul Marathon 2020 By Storm
On Sunday the Gambian Amputee Football Team took time out of their usual training schedule to run together in the second annual Banjul Marathon. Fifteen of the players and regular supporters turned out as the sun was rising to race in the 5km segment of the marathon. The spirit of GAFT touched those that lined the streets, the country’s first … Read More
Women’s Cooperative comes to life in The Gambia
Fatou Njie, bi-president of the Gambian Amputee Association, called a group of female association members together in January of this year to talk about their lives as women with disabilities. From that meeting the group decided to invest more time in their female peer circle forming the Gambian Female Amputee Partnership group. Time spent establishing the existing skill set within … Read More
Gambian Amputees Train in Mental Health Awareness and Peer Counselling
In January ten members of the Gambian Amputee Association kick started the year by participating in a three day mental health awareness and peer counselling course. The course was designed by mental health professional Katie Taylor-Smith in collaboration with Legs4Africa and UK aid specifically for the group, who delivered the content alongside amputee advocate Alieu Tourey – a social work … Read More
Females are strong as hell
Women in sub-saharan Africa can have a tough time. Disabled women in sub-saharan Africa can have it even harder and somehow female amputees fall in limbo. They have to fight to be seen as women thanks to misconceptions about disabilities and they have to fight to be visible in both able bodied and disabled communities because often neither community see … Read More
Fashion Daaahling
So let’s talk about inclusivity! I mean, you’re here, on the Legs4Africa website so you’re already interested in seeing increased accessibility for all people. Which means that you also realise that we live in a less-than-perfect world in which people with disabilities can lack representation. On Saturday (16th November… I’m late to publish because I forgot to actually press the … Read More
Sporting Leg-ends
Saturday November 9th saw the third annual Kampala Capital City Authority Para-sports Gala – a day of celebration for adaptive sports and people with disabilities. The event was specifically for disability sports in the Kampala region with each of the divisions competing against one another in wheelchair basketball, seated volleyball, deaf football and amputee football. At 3pm amputee football kicked … Read More
A Problem Shared Is A Problem Halved
In the last five years hospital staff and local amputees have identified the gap between physical and emotional rehabilitation provisions. Whether it be in The Gambia, Ghana or Uganda it is something that gets brought up time and time again – the related traumas associated with limb loss, how it further adds to existing pressures and the fact the under-funded, … Read More
Big Ups To The Clinical Crew
In 2018/19 eleven suitcases we taken to partnering clinics in the East, Central and Western regions of Uganda as part of Deliver A Leg. These components meant that technologists like Henry Gazimba, Akram Semwanga and Tom Baguma could get an additional 246 amputees back on their feet. Uganda has seen decent economic progress in recent years but according to The … Read More
Pinch me. This must be a dream!
Well, what a month it has been here in Uganda. I have so much to share but let’s start a bit further back than a month in January of this year when I visited The Gambia for the third time but for the first time as a Legs4Africa volunteer since officially becoming one in 2016. At the time I was … Read More
Landmine Survivors In Uganda Looking Toward The Future
In 1991 the majesty of the Rwenzori Mountain range was marred by vicious civil conflict displacing thousands of families, forcing them to leave their homes and livelihoods. It was during this time that Asanaire went one morning to fetch food for his family who had left their farm for a less volatile part of the region. Whilst on his mission … Read More
Training Bursaries Now Available
Legs4Africa are looking to award five bursaries to female amputees aged eighteen or over interested in a career in prosthetic technology. We have partnered with the Tanzania Training Centre for Orthopaedic Technologies (TATCOT) to support African women to attend it’s Certificate Course in Lower Limb Technologies to increase female representation in the sector. TATCOT are recognised by the International Society … Read More
Legs4Africa meeting with Yosiah Muhindo
As it stands the system in Uganda means that it’s only in times of crisis that support workers are allocated and generally speaking support workers are provided by NGOs. However there is a significant lack of capacity so more often than not it is the doctors, technicians, etc. that provide post-treatment support. It goes without saying that this stretches the … Read More
Inspired volunteer goes to Uganda
As a young man living in a country where 69% of the population live on less than a dollar a day, the odds are already stacked against you. Access to medical resources is limited at the best of times let alone when you live eight hours from the nearest hospital. When I say eight hours, that’s eight hours according to … Read More