Current CAMPAIGN
Follow-Up Visit
Follow-up visits is the most recent project added to the Blu Spring campaigns. The latter have been designed to check on the child and the wheelchair supplied. This allows us to gather data regarding the physical and social effect of a wheelchair for both the child and the family. Further, as children are still in their growth phase or their position might improve or worsen over time, it is important to adapt the wheelchair consequently. This allows for an optimal seating position with greater comfort.
Additionally, with extensive use of the wheelchairs and the rough African terrain it is important to check on the condition and maintenance of the wheelchair to possibly replace or adapt faulty or broken parts.
All the collaborating organisations with the Wheelchairs for Kids campaign, have been asked to perform a follow-up visit ideally every 3 to 6 months after a child has received the wheelchair. An appropriate form has been designed to gather all the desired information. Such as inquiries and gain of knowledge in regard to the impact of the wheelchair, on the social life of the child and the wellbeing of the family, further it also records possible adjustments, repairs or replacements performed on the wheelchair during the visit.
Follow up visits are often challenging as many children live in rural areas and far away from the structures where they originally received the wheelchair.
The use of public transport for a disabled child with a wheelchair is of high cost and proposes some difficulties seen the impairment and the unsuitable nature of the transport vehicles.
Therefore, the most appropriate way to perform follow up visits has been found to be through the implementation of outreach programs which allow to visit 4 to 5 children a day. An undertaking as such requires transport (for instance a car), a person knowledgeable of the local topography to find the households of the families, time, a lot of patience and financial means.
A typical follow up team would be set up as follows: A social worker which is knowledgeable of the rough destination and the local language. Two physiotherapists or technicians which are able to adjust and adapt the wheelchair as they consider is correct. Preferably one of the people above able to drive (or an additional driver) which can also fill in the form. Further, the party will have a box of spare parts and tools used for replacements as well as (ideally) and new wheelchair in the occasion of encountering a new child.
The search for the child and the destination is a mission by itself. We often rely on the kindness of the community, with people coming along on rides to show us the way. Without the generosity and openness of these individuals, which take time out of their day (often even a few hours) to help us, we would not have been able to reach out to as many people as we have today.
Blu Spring has so far organized a few follow-up trips in the past couple of years: November 2018 in the Chipata region, March 2019 in the Lusaka region and October 2019 in both Chipata and Lusaka. Moreover, we have assembled a great team of local technicians which have successfully managed to carry out the first follow-up trip without any Blu Spring members or volunteers present, which for us is a great achievement!
We have so far successfully accomplished to visit over 130 children, data which we are currently using to get a better statistical insight in the effect of the wheelchairs on the children and the community.
Further founding would allow us to research and write a scientific publication to study the physical and social effects of the wheelchairs in Zambia.
