cHARITY FOR 2026-2027
BluSpringBluSpring is a non-profit organization dedicated to the support and empowerment of children with disabilities in Zambia, Africa. BluSpring was officially launched in 2017 by Marco Kerkhof, a Swiss physiotherapist who, after visiting Kasisi Children’s Home in Lusaka in 2014, saw the urgent need for mobility assistive devices. This led to a partnership with Wheelchairs for Kids Australia (WFK), through which we began by distributing eight wheelchairs. The life-changing impact of those first devices on the children and their communities inspired the formal founding of BluSpring and continues to drive our mission today, working closely together with a local trained team to achieve our goals. Additionally, BluSpring has also pioneered projects aimed at helping empower mothers of children with disability, stimulating and/or sponsoring education in families which have limited financial means, and providing forms of healthcare to impoverished minority groups in Zambia.Mission Our goal is to promote mobility, independence, and dignity for children with disabilities and their communities by: • Providing specially designed wheelchairs and assistive devices, • Offering physical therapy and ongoing support, • Delivering education and training to local caregivers and communities, • Teach to fish – A microcredit program for impoverished mothers / caregivers, • Promoting menstrual hygiene by ensuring that adolescent girls in boarding schools have access to essential resources and education for their health and well-being. Current Status Currently, BluSpring has distributed over 2,500 wheelchairs to disabled children throughout Zambia and follow ups have been conducted for over 1,400 of the provided wheelchairs. To achieve this, we have partnered with 15 local organizations in the 10 districts around Zambia. Additionally, multiple workshops have been conducted in Zambia to train medical professionals and technicians in local communities in wheelchair-related skills. Future Objectives Future objectives include: • Establish BluSpring headquarters and workshop in Zambia. • Local production of large / extended wheelchairs for disabled children who outgrow the WFK wheelchairs. Optimally this can be done with locally sourced materials. • Local repair of wheelchairs and seat covers / cushions. • BluSpring 4x4 vehicle to allow for outreaches throughout the year to more remote areas in Zambia. • Funding to hire full-time employees for the BluSpring wheelchair project. • Development of the Teach to Fish Microcredit program for impoverished mothers. • Expand the BluSpring wheelchair projects to Zimbabwe. To learn more, please visit their website at https://bluspring.org/. |
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