Making an impact to honour late mom

TO HONOUR her late mother’s memory, a Durban woman is making an impact through an initiative to help people needing wheelchairs.

Tamera Gangadien, 27, said the last time she hugged her mom, Vino Singh, was when she put her in a wheelchair in hospital.

Said Gangadien: “After my mother’s passing in September last year of Covid-19, I thought of different ways I could honour her by helping others in need.

“From last year I started donating R1 000 monthly to a family in need or paid for their medical expenses.

“The wheelchair initiative was started recently when the need was identified.

“I recounted my last time with my mom and realised the value of a wheelchair in aiding mom to be hospitalised. This initiative is therefore so special to me.”

Gangadien, an auditor from umhlanga, started an initiative called Impact.

“This project is to loan wheelchairs to worthy, underprivileged people free of charge.

“After it is returned it would be cleaned and given to another person in need.

“I started it by buying two second-hand wheelchairs for R500 each. I thought if I could make an impact in two people’s lives, it would be a start.

“I realised that there was such a demand for wheelchairs. But a new good quality wheelchair costs up to R4 000.

“I put out an appeal on social media to anyone who could assist with wheelchairs and the response has been good so far,” she said.

Gangadien said her aim was to provide people with a better quality of life.

“Currently we are doing this by providing wheelchair assistance to those who require it and cannot afford it.

“My vision is to identify and provide many forms of assistance that improves one’s quality of life, be it bare necessities or even to better their mental health by simply lending an ear to those who need someone to talk to,” she said.

She said this initiative would not only assist the people of Kwazulu-natal but also those in Gauteng.

“My sister, Shelina and brotherin-law Nishanthan are assisting with collections and distributions of wheelchairs in Johannesburg.

“We currently have 15 wheelchairs, three walking sticks, six walkers and three sets of crutches which will be used to assist people in their struggle. However, there is still a huge demand for more wheelchairs.

“I humbly request the community to come together and make an impact by sponsoring used or new wheelchairs to the initiative," said Gangadien.

Call Gangadien at 0810402006.