A Wheelchair Journey to Independence

For years, a family in Dandabu Bakoi Community, Pujehun District, carried not only the physical responsibility of caring for their daughter but also the emotional pain of watching her struggle with speech and mobility impairment.

Eleven-year-old Wuyah, a pupil in Class One, faced a journey marked by resilience and determination. According to her elder sister, Kadiatu, Wuyah was not born with a disability. As an infant, she became seriously ill and subsequently lost her ability to speak and walk. Despite numerous visits to hospitals and the family's tireless efforts to seek treatment to no avail, they resolved to believe that she would never walk again.

Life became increasingly challenging. Every trip required someone to carry her. Whether going to school, visiting neighbors, or moving from one place to another, mobility was a daily struggle. While other children walked, played, and learned freely, Wuyah often had to watch from the sidelines or crawl using her hands. Yet through it all, she never gave up on her dream of getting an education. 

In 2025, Wuyah’s mother learnt about Safe Space through the community entry meeting held in her community to introduce the Global Programme to End Child Marriage implemented by ActionAid with funds from UNFPA. What stood out most during that meeting was the project's commitment to inclusion. As a result, Wuyah’s mother saw it as an opportunity for her daughter to interact with other girls in her community. 

When the sessions started, Wuyah’s mother had to carry her on her back to the safe space every single time. Eventually, the programme provided assistive devices to participants living with disabilities and that is how Wuyah got a wheelchair.

“This wheelchair has brought great hope to our family. I no longer have to carry Wuyah everywhere. She can now move around much more easily, and the support she requires has greatly reduced,” Kadiatu shared gratefully.

The safe space has really had a positive impact on Wuyah. Divine, the safe space mentor, highlighted that even though Wuyah has a speech impairment and cannot walk, the way she nods her head and laughs during the sessions shows that she understands and enjoys the activities. Her mother also noted that, before joining the safe space, Wuyah always kept her head down. However, ever since she started attending the sessions, she now raises her head when sitting among other people, and she appears much happier.

Today, the wheelchair represents far more than a means of mobility. It symbolizes hope, dignity, inclusion, independence, and opportunity. It is enabling Wuyah to move with greater confidence, continue her education, and participate more fully in everyday life while easing the burden on the family that has cared for her with unwavering love and dedication.

Together with UNFPA, ActionAid Sierra Leone remains committed to building inclusive communities where every child, regardless of ability, deserves the opportunity to learn, thrive, and live with dignity where no one is left behind.

#LeaveNoOneBehind

#GlobalProgrammeToEndChildMarriage

#Inclusion