Justine and Majambere have received a prosthetic leg and crutches. | © Infomercial Media / HI
More than 20,300 people with disabilities live in Kyaka refugee camp. To assist them in their daily lives, HI provides them with mental health support and physical and functional rehabilitation services in the form of physiotherapy sessions and mobility aids, such as walking sticks and wheelchairs. HI also runs disability awareness campaigns and supports the development of organisations of people with disabilities.
Being an amputee and a refugee
Justine, 27, and Majambere, 32, are married with four children. Together, they fled the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2022 to seek refuge in Kyaka camp. Justine and Majambere have both lost a leg as they were amputated after a road accident in 2004 left them with multiple fractures.
The prosthetic legs that the couple had received in the DRC were very old and so ill adapted to everyday use that they couldn’t work to support their family. They were also painful to wear, sometimes causing them to lose their balance.
"Walking was very difficult. Certain tasks were impossible for me to do, like fetching water or gardening. My children are still very young and can't help me with these chores. While I was breastfeeding, it was very hard to walk and carry my baby at the same time. Sometimes my prosthesis would come off and I would fall over," Justine recalls.
A prosthesis and crutches for the couple
In 2022, Justine worked with an HI physical therapist who provided her with a pair of crutches and showed her how to use them. This help was invaluable for a while – until the birth of her last child. After that, Justine couldn’t carry her new baby and use her crutches at the same time. So, in 2023, she was fitted with a brand new prosthetic leg made with the help of a 3D printer. This revolutionised the young woman’s life. She can now walk independently again and has taken up new activities.
“Today I can walk on my own and my balance has improved. I'm not uncomfortable any more, and the pain has disappeared! I can fetch water, go to the health centre and look after my garden. And thanks to what I grow, I'm able to improve the family's daily lives", Justine says, happily. "I hope that my husband will get a new prosthesis too! »
HI is now working to find a solution to provide him with a new prosthesis, which is different from Justine's because it has to start above the knee. In the meantime, he has been given crutches to help him walk with his old prosthesis.
The InCharge project, implemented in Uganda between August 2021 and July 2024, was led by Medical Teams International. A total of over 5,100 people were supported in the Kyangwali and Kyaka camps, of which 1,400 through rehabilitation and 3,700 through mental health support.
