Motivation International

‘Excellent’, ‘informative’, and ‘well-packaged’ – just some of the outstanding feedback from participants of our Wheelchair Training programme we delivered earlier this month. Motivation collaborated with Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. to provide our Wheelchair Training programme to 48 wheelchair practitioners in Kenya. This practical training gave participants the essential knowledge and skills to provide quality mobility services to wheelchair users, in line with the #WHO's globally recognised standards. This programme was delivered as part of the ATscale, the Global Partnership for Assistive Technology  project, coordinated by Kenya’s Ministry of Health. The training is based on the WHO's Wheelchair Service provision guidelines that Motivation developed as a partner with the World Health Organisation. By completing this training, participants are equipped with the skills to: ✅ Confidently assess the needs of wheelchair users ✅ Prescribe and fit appropriate wheelchairs and pressure relief cushions ✅ Conduct user training ✅ Understand the health issues related to mobility impairments This training will significantly impact wheelchair services, integrate them into broader rehabilitation efforts, and improve the independence and quality of life of disabled people in Kenya. Our Wheelchair Training programmes support healthcare professionals, rehabilitation workers, technicians, and community-based workers involved in delivering wheelchair services. How do we recruit trainers? Motivation’s ‘train-the-trainer’ approach means knowledge cascades. First, people learn in workshops, and then they co-facilitate, facilitate, and eventually train others, creating a lasting ripple effect of skills across Kenya. This builds capacity in the entire inclusion and wheelchair provision ecosystem, ensuring that wheelchair users receive the quality services they deserve for independence, inclusion, and autonomy. Want to learn more or get involved? Visit our website: https://lnkd.in/eya75jRC or email our team at: training@motivation.org.uk. #WheelchairTraining #DisabilityRights #InclusiveWorld #DisabilityInclusion #MakeaDifference #ChangeMakers #MakeSpaceforDisability #DisabilityAwareness #WheelchairService #Wheelchair

Clare Childs, our Sports Range Manager, is joining an exciting panel discussion on 'The Role of Assistive Technology in Sports', hosted by UNICEF with : David Evangelista of Special Olympics. winta tridhatu satwikasanti of Duta Wacana Christian University Musema Faruk of Ability Sports Africa The conversation will focus on how assistive tech is transforming sports in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), breaking down barriers, and creating opportunities in sports. Want to join the panel? Please reach out to Clare for details and the meeting link.

We’re excited to announce the launch of the Phase 2 Tunaswasi 'We Are Thriving' project! Tunaswasi means "We Are Thriving," and is transforming the lives of children and young people (15+) with cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities in Uganda. Our mission is to ensure they have access to healthcare, assistive equipment, and the support they need. Why Tunaswasi Matters Cerebral palsy is a common childhood disability in low-income countries like Uganda. Limited healthcare, lack of understanding, and stigma often leave these children hidden away, isolated, and neglected. Caregivers struggle, while mothers often face abandonment, discrimination, and poverty. How Tunaswasi is Making a Difference We’re addressing these challenges through: ✔️Building Strong Communities: Parent Support Groups bring caregivers together to learn, share experiences, and advocate for their children's needs. ✔️Economic Empowerment: We’re fostering self-sufficiency through community-driven savings and loan groups that help members borrow money to start businesses, such as poultry rearing or farming. ✔️Aiding Mobility & Independence: Children and young people are assessed and provided with the right equipment—like wheelchairs and walking aids—to help them move independently and live fuller lives. ✔️Better Local Clinical Care: Local healthcare professionals and community workers are trained to provide appropriate care and support, ensuring every child and young person receives the best possible assistance. Meet Noor Noor is a six-year-old girl with cerebral palsy. Before joining the Parent Support Group, her mother felt overwhelmed—Noor often cried, refused to eat, and faced community insults. Now, thanks to Tunaswasi, things have changed: "We've made new friends. I no longer feel alone, and I finally have the support and guidance to care for my daughter, to nourish her in ways I didn’t know were possible..." The Road Ahead Tunaswasi is led by our team of Clinical and Technical Specialists in Uganda, with support from Motivation’s regional office in Kenya and our UK team. Our partners and funders have made this work possible—thank you for your support and generosity. Together, we are ensuring children like Noor are not just surviving, but thriving. #DisabilityRights #CerebralPalsy #InclusiveWorld #DisabilityInclusion #MakeaDifference #ChangeMakers #MakeSpaceforDisability #DisabilityAwareness

It’s more than access to a wheelchair. The WHO outlines eight steps for wheelchair service provision: referral and appointment, assessment, prescription, funding, product preparation, fitting, user training, follow-up, and maintenance and repair. A challenge in developing countries is the lack of collaboration between wheelchair service providers and community organisations. This often means complete wheelchair services are only available at centralised locations, making it difficult for people in remote areas to access them. Disabled people have the right to comprehensive wheelchair services. To achieve this, we advocate for a community-based rehabilitation approach, encouraging local organisations and workers to collaborate with specialised wheelchair services to ensure effective and sustainable care. Many of our projects are delivered by working in partnership with others, and the Mobility project is an excellent example of how we can accomplish more by working together. Since 2010, with support from LTSC, this project has provided wheelchairs and support services to people in Malawi through partnerships with local centres like Maple Blantyre, Maple Longway, Maple Lumpy, and QECH. Our Outreach team met Mayeso Mumba, a teenager from Malawi who benefited from the Mobility project. Mayeso had recently received a wheelchair from a local service centre. However, during a follow-up visit, we discovered that he wasn’t using the wheelchair. The reason? It didn’t fit properly, wasn’t comfortable, and he couldn’t prepare it independently—leaving him reliant on others. Like any teenager, Mayeso chose not to use the wheelchair and instead got around by crawling, rarely leaving his home. We invited Mayeso to one of our assessment centres, where our clinical team, led by Motivation assessor Moses Muntari, conducted a personalised assessment. This resulted in a custom-fitted three-wheeler wheelchair with a clip-on trike attachment and a modified backrest. After receiving his adapted wheelchair and user training, Mayeso can confidently use his wheelchair. He told us: “Finally, I’ll be able to go to the market, church, and visit my friends. I’ve missed them so much.” This highlights the importance of follow-up services for wheelchair recipients. Without them, people can be left without the support they need to use and maintain their wheelchairs, leading to isolation and potential health problems. By working together, we can create a world where everyone who needs a wheelchair has access to one and the support, they need to live a full and active life. #MakeSpaceforDisability #Inclusion #DisabilityRights #WheelchairService #MakeaDifference #ChangeMakers #SocialImpact #Nonprofit #Donate #SocialImpact

We are delighted that Peter Mbuguah, African Regional Director at Motivation, has been invited back to speak at the Dharura: Global Emergency Care meeting on Wednesday 9th October. 🗓️ Time: 17:00 GMT / 19:00 EAT Peter will share his expert insights and real-world experiences from his work in clinical settings in Kenya, offering valuable knowledge to help improve access to quality emergency care. 💻 Join on ZOOM: link in the comments. Meeting ID: 918 8837 8902 Passcode: 653799 Each month, Dharura invites clinical fellows from Kenya and the UK to discuss clinical cases they encountered in their practice and to share their expertise. These meetings provide an excellent opportunity to prepare for work experience in Kenya, but they are also valuable for keeping up to date with the latest knowledge and getting some free CPDs on global emergency care. Dharura supports the global development of emergency care through health partnerships, supporting the development of UK and overseas staff through global fellowships and programs to improve access to quality emergency care.

Have you seen our latest fundraising initiative? At Motivation, we believe mobility is a human right—not a privilege. It is our mission to ensure that the world understands this, too. In our latest fundraising initiative, we wanted to find a way for our supporters to celebrate the cause they believe in while also celebrating the people they love. Introducing GIVE - a fun and exciting initiative that allows our supporters to fund life-changing products and services. From the tiny nuts and bolts that keep our wheelchairs moving to comprehensive training sessions for caregivers and inclusive sports programs, there is a wealth of gifts to choose from. Our GIVE campaign offers a unique opportunity to potentially change someone’s life and impact the world in a way that a traditional gift simply cannot.  Want to know more about how this fundraising initiative was brought to life? We catch up with Zoe Lindsey, Individual Giving Manager at Motivation, to learn more about the team behind GIVE, the inspiration behind GIVE, and how you can get involved. A huge thank you to everyone involved in bringing GIVE to life, with a special shout-out to graphic designer, Michelle Thomas, for her exceptional creativity and attention to detail in executing our vision perfectly. Watch this space for more to come from GIVE. Read the full blog here: https://lnkd.in/e3RiETdw #CharityGiving #UniquePresent #CharityGift #UniqueGift #CharityGive #CharityGifts #ChristmasGift #WheelchairService #Nonprofit #MakeaDifference #ChangeMakers #Fundraising #MakeSpaceforDisability #DisabilityRights

The message is strong: the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals will not be met without increasing access to assistive technology! We are proud to be part of a consortium of other leading health and development organisations, including WHO, UNICEF, and AT Scale, responsible for a Times Square takeover this week as part of the #UnlocktheEveryday campaign. This ground breaking global campaign has made significant strides in raising awareness of assistive technology and people’s right to access it, regardless of their income or where they live. The Times Square takeover, timed to coincide with the UN’s landmark #SummitoftheFuture, also taking place in New York, saw advocates unveil a giant eye test believed to be the largest ever displayed. The eye test transformed into a powerful message: “Need Glasses? One billion people around the world do today.” Highlighting one of several life-transforming assistive products the campaign calls for better access to. Without increased investment and national policies to improve access to assistive technology, they warn that it will be impossible for UN Member States to meet the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – especially overcoming poverty (goal #1), good health and well-being (goal #3) enabling quality education (goal #4), gender equality (#5), reducing equalities (goal #10), and unlocking decent work and economic growth (goal #8).   Currently, more than 2.5 billion people worldwide need one or more assistive products, such as wheelchairs, prostheses, glasses, hearing aids, and digital devices—a number expected to rise to 3.5 billion by 2050 if policymakers continue to neglect the issue and choose not to increase investment. Low-middle-income countries shoulder the highest burden, with only 10% of low-income people accessing the products they need, leading to millions of people today effectively ‘locked out’ of education and the workforce. For over 30 years, Motivation has advocated for better AT access and designed and supplied thousands of high-quality, low-cost, and appropriate wheelchairs and training to people in under-resourced countries. Bravo to the team behind the Times Square Takeover, and let's keep the message going #AccesstoAT is a right, not a privilege #unlocktheeveryday

Looking for a meaningful way to celebrate your colleagues, clients, or suppliers on their birthdays, milestones, or holidays? Want to say thank you to a longstanding client? This year, rethink the hamper or the bottom of wine and instead give something that will demonstrate your values and integrity and honour your CSR commitment. With our GIVE-to-GIVE Gift Cards, your gift donation will allow us to provide wheelchair services worldwide and reaffirm your business values. Whether it's a birthday, work anniversary, thank you, or holiday celebration, this unique gift will make a meaningful and lasting impact. Here’s how it works: 1️. Choose a Gift – Select a GIVE gift that aligns with your brand values and speaks to your corporate positioning. 2️. Send Your Gift Card – Share it in person, deliver it by post, or send via email. 3️. Make a Difference – Your gift will send a strong positive message while supporting a great cause that helps disabled people live independently, as they are entitled to. Make your next corporate gift truly count. Visit our website to purchase a GIVE Gift Card online (link in the comments) or find out how your organisation can get involved. Drop a comment below or email us at: info@motivation.org.uk for more information. #GiftForGood #EmployeeWellBeing #CorporateResponsibility #MobilityForAll #CharityGiftCard #CorporateGifting #EthicalGifting #CareerMilestone

An amazing, important campaign that we are proud to be part of. More access to AT, more rights honoured. More lives lived equally. #UnlockTheEveryday #MakeSpaceforDisability

Did you know that one billion people around the world need glasses?    We’re partnering with @UnlockTheEveryday, to call for equal access to assistive technology everywhere. From hearing aids to eyeglasses, to wheelchairs to prostheses, everyone everywhere deserves the assistive technology they need to unlock their everyday lives. Yesterday, on 23 September, we took over Times Square, New York, to call on policymakers to put access to assistive technology on the agenda. For more information, don’t forget to follow the campaign's socials: ✨X: @Unlock_Everyday ✨Instagram: @unlocktheeveryday ✨Facebook: @Unlock The Everyday    #UnlockTheEveryday #UNGA #UNGA79 #SummitOfTheFuture Visual Description “Need glasses? One billion people do today.” FRAME 1: A blue screen with random letters representing an eye test (Snellen test). The letters are big at the top and get smaller down each row.    FRAME 2: The letters rearrange on the screen to read out “Need glasses? One Billion people do today.”