Hobble to school girl now climbs trees

Raymond Jaravaza
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PLASTERED on the walls of a stand at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair’s Hall 3 are pictures of a smiling teenager climbing a tree but what is not known to members of the public viewing the photographs is that a few years ago, Dephine Mandengu couldn’t walk.

Born with a congenital condition that left her unable to walk, Dephine was abandoned by her father when she was a toddler.

The man couldn’t come to terms with the fact that his daughter was born with a physical condition that would make walking very difficult or virtually impossible so he abandoned both mother and child and disappeared from their lives.

The story of Dephine is one of hope and resilience.

For years, Dephine hopped to school with the aid of a stick, and didn’t enjoy the simple daily bare necessities like walking, running and playing with her friends.

But now, judging by the picture of her climbing a tree with ease, it’s evident she is enjoying her life just like any adventurous young child whose life revolves around playing with peers and going to school.

Three years ago, Leonard Cheshire Disability Zimbabwe, changed the life of the young girl by giving her back the gift of walking when the organisation donated an artificial leg.

“We first heard about Dephine’s plight when she was a pupil at Nyachuru Primary School in Chiweshe, Mashonaland Central Province and decided to assist her with an artificial leg that would enable to live a normal life just like her friends in the village and at school.

“The procedure was of no cost to the family, it’s our way of giving back to society and changing the life of a young girl,” said Ophia Bwanali, a prosthetist at Leonard Cheshire Disability Zimbabwe.

Leonard Cheshire Disability Zimbabwe gives hope to mine and road accidents victims who would have lost their limbs in the unfortunate mishaps.

During the Trade Fair period, the organisation also came to the rescue of a 16-year-old Nkayi girl who crawls to school following the amputation of her leg after she was bitten by a snake in 2016.

Two weeks ago, this publication published a story where she was appealing for US$1 500 for an artificial leg. After reading her heart-rending story, the orthopaedic centre offered to provide the artificial leg at no cost to the girl so that she can continue with her education without a challenge.

The girl was attacked by the snake while in Grade Four and now she is in Form Two at Tsheli Secondary School in Nkayi.
All along she was struggling to go to school but now she will start the second term with the new artificial leg. Nomabutho Ncube’s world collapsed when she was bitten by a snake at night while coming from a bus stop to receive her sports attire which had been sent from Bulawayo.

The leg was amputated at Gweru Provincial Hospital, three months after she was attacked by the snake.
“When we saw the story and the kind of money that was needed, I told my director that we will donate to her because her plight of having challenges going to school yet she is passionate about education touched me. We have a department that does the prosthesis fabrication and when I looked at the picture we committed to helping her.

“Since we were coming for the ZITF we thought it would be cheaper for us to do all the preliminary work then we can go back and do the fabrication and she can come over with her relative to complete the process in Harare,” said an official from the organisation.

Mine accidents are a common occurrence especially in the small artisanal mining sector where safety precautions and safe mining methods are ignored all in the name of the gold rush.

The unfortunate victims of these accidents either die or lose limbs such as legs and hands.
“We do fabrications, for instance legs, based on each individual case because people differ in height, weight and body size and that is done locally.

“We only import some components of the prosthetic limbs as they are not available locally and our services are affordable. Most people that we assist are mine and road accident victims as well as diabetic patients whose limbs would have been amputated,” added Bwanali.