Ayuba Gufwan Burki is the founder of Beautiful Gate Handicapped People’s Center in Jos, Nigeria. He is the reason that Wheels of Hope was created, and an inspiration for tens of thousands of polio survivors in Northern Nigeria. Hear from Ayuba as part of this video: Ayuba’s story
Al Bonney has been involved with Wheels of Hope since its inception in 2008, and has served as chair of the board since then. He first learned of the cause from Ann Lee Hussey, a polio survivor who had traveled to Nigeria with Rotary International. Ann Lee had spent time with Ayuba Gufwan, who sought to make wheelchairs for others like him — those who could not walk and needed mobility to make a life for themselves. Read more about the Wheels of Hope beginnings here.
You may be thinking, didn’t we already cure polio? That’s partially true — we have a very effective vaccine. Most babies in the United States receive four doses before they are six years old. But what happens in other parts of the world? Countries without stable healthcare systems need a lot of help distributing vaccines, especially to remote, hard-to-reach communities. And when enough people don’t get the vaccine, an outbreak occurs.
To raise funds in support of increased mobility for polio survivors in countries where there is still need. That’s the mission of Wheels of Hope, and “increased mobility” is made possible with specially-made hand-crank wheelchairs.
The lives of families in northern Nigeria are very different from those we live in the United States. They exist in crowded conditions with dirt floors and streets. People without sufficient income have no government support. Many beg in the streets and go hungry. And yet, our lives are also very much the same — all of us long for and deserve dignity and opportunity, and we all want a better life for our children.