For years, 72-year-old Matovu was a familiar face in the bustling commercial hubs of Bweyogerere, a vibrant township just east of Uganda’s capital. As an independent businessman, he moved freely, anchored his family’s financial survival, and navigated life on his own terms.
That reality shattered when a devastating stroke left him partially paralyzed. His misfortunes compounded soon after when a horrific road accident severely fractured his left leg.
‘My leg bone broke, and part of it actually came out,’ Matovu recalled softly, gesturing to his scarred limb. ‘Since then, life has been very difficult. I cannot walk beyond one or two kilometers without intense pain.’
With Matovu sidelined, the grueling burden of survival shifted entirely to his wife. Compounding the family’s crisis, she too struggles with limited mobility due to injuries sustained in a separate accident. For the Matovu family, the world had effectively shrunk to the perimeter of their immediate homestead.
On Tuesday, however, Matovu’s world expanded once again. He was one of dozens of beneficiaries whose lives were transformed during a community outreach event organized by the Ramadan Foundation, a local non-profit dedicated to uplifting marginalized groups.
Amidst a crowd of cheering volunteers and emotional family members, Matovu was handed the keys to a brand-new, hand-cranked mobility cart.
‘The mobility cart I have received today is so nice and easy to ride,’ Matovu said, a brilliant smile replacing years of etched exhaustion.
‘It is going to help me in my day-to-day work, even if it means going to the market. It is spacious enough to carry foodstuffs and other things. I feel like I have got my energy back.’
For the recipients gathered in Bweyogerere, these robust, all-terrain carts represent far more than a mere mode of transportation. In a country where public infrastructure rarely accommodates persons with disabilities (PWDs), these devices are a passport to freedom, financial agency, and reclaimed dignity.
Among those fighting back tears was 59-year-old Mariam Nakafu, the women’s chairperson for Kiganda Zone in Bweyogerere. Before tragedy struck, Nakafu was a thriving entrepreneur, running a successful business dealing in imported office chairs and woven woolen carpets. A catastrophic accident halted her enterprise, leaving her with extensive internal injuries.
‘I have nine metal nails permanently fixed in my left leg and five in the right one,’ Nakafu explained, pointing to where the orthopedic hardware was inserted from her knees downward. ‘Movement became an agonizing chore. My business crumbled because I simply could not manage the logistics anymore.’
Testing her new mobility cart for the first time, Nakafu maneuvered it with ease. ‘This cart has come at the exact time when I need it most,’ she said. ‘Now I can move freely without depending on anyone to help me. I feel hopeful again.’
For others, the intervention corrected basic human rights violations brought on by poverty. Jamala Abdulsuliman, a refugee who fled conflict in South Sudan only to face the harsh realities of urban displacement in Uganda, spoke of the humiliation he endured daily. Unable to afford the ubiquitous boda-boda (motorcycle) taxis, Abdulsuliman often resorted to crawling on his hands through the dust to get around.
‘It was destroying my hygiene and stripping away my dignity, but I had absolutely no option,’ Abdulsuliman said quietly. ‘Now, everything changes. I can finally move through my community with confidence.’
The reach of the initiative also extended to the next generation. Samuel Manashafa, a local barber from nearby Kasangati, attended the event to receive a cart on behalf of his two-year-old daughter, Emileshi Nshemye, who was born with a debilitating congenital condition.
‘As a parent, seeing your child struggle hurts deeply,’ Manashafa said. ‘Although my daughter is still very young, this cart will be vital for her development and integration into society as she grows.’
The distribution drive, which also included essential food packages and clothing, highlights the critical role civil society organizations play in filling social welfare gaps.
Speaking at the distribution ceremony, Ms Janat Sebunya, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ramadan Foundation, emphasized that the initiative is designed to push back against the systemic neglect of PWDs.
‘We believe that disability should never stop someone from living a meaningful, independent, and productive life,’ Ms Sebunya asserted. ‘Our mission goes beyond charity; it is about empowerment. We want these families to know they are not alone. Even the smallest piece of targeted support can completely rewrite someone’s life story.’
Sebunya issued a passionate plea to corporate entities, educational institutions, and private well-wishers to partner with the foundation to expand their reach into education through bursary schemes.
Concluding the event, the chairperson of the foundation, Ms. Justin Kanyike, delivered a firm, encouraging charge to the beneficiaries, urging them to view the tools not as handouts, but as capital for self-reliance.
‘We want to see lives tangibly changing after this support,’ Kanyike emphasized. ‘Do not sell these carts. Use them to move, to work, to trade, and to actively rebuild your livelihoods. When our team returns for monitoring and follow-up, we want to find families progressing and growing stronger.’
As the afternoon sun began to set over Bweyogerere, the grounds cleared not with the slow, labored movements of the morning, but with the steady hum of rotating wheels. Laughter and quiet prayers filled the air as Kampala’s newly mobile citizens rolled toward a self-determined future.