Legs4Africa Launch the Biggest Campaign in Charity’s History for Amputees

Legs4Africa is an incredible charity that Davpack have had the pleasure of interviewing previously for our series ‘Davpack Talks To’. Inspired by the founder’s – Tom Williams’ – trip to The Gambia in 2013, where he met a family involving a father being an amputee and could not gain access to a prosthetic leg. Tom began to research this issue across Africa and found that a huge amount of prosthetic legs within the United Kingdom were being taken to landfills when they still had plenty of use left in them. Tom began to collect these legs and would transport them to Africa for those in need. Now, after nearly 10 years of the organisation helping countless amputees, Legs4Africa are launching their biggest campaign in history, with a set goal of £100,000! Davpack are more than happy to spread the word and reach as many people as possible to help Legs4Africa achieve this amazing target and aid more amputees!

The Leg Up Fundraiser

This life-changing fundraiser is launching today, the 24th of August 2021, coinciding with the first day of the Tokyo Paralympics. The campaign is ending four months later (December 24th) and throughout the duration of the fundraiser, an anonymous friend of the charity, is matching all donations given, meaning every penny raised is doubled for the amputees. Legs4Africa doesn’t just help individuals located through Africa by providing them with prosthetics, they also provide COVID-19 and mental health care. As the charity has grown in popularity and staff, Legs4Africa have been able to send people to Africa and receive training that allows them to support individuals mentally and physically whilst dealing with their amputations. The organisation has been working in The Gambia since 2014, with all the help they have received so far, the charity has collected enough parts to provide over 400 individuals with prosthetic legs. Not only this, Legs4Africa has increased capacity at the country’s only mobility centre, and as previously mentioned have reached milestones in the improvement of peer support networks and counselling services for amputees in the community. However, with the Leg Up Fundraiser and the target of £100,000 in donations, L4F want to be able to continue supporting and expanding their services for the next two years – reaching thousands of more people in need!

Why the Leg Up is Needed

This massive fundraiser is needed because the struggle to the access of prosthetic legs never stops across Africa. One major amputation is made within The Gambia every 3.5 days due to a variety of reasons, whether because of major road accidents to natural-born illnesses. Most individuals within The Gambia are unable to receive not only the prothesis they need but also the support and technology to cope with the amputation process. Legs4Africa estimates there are 4,500 people in The Gambia in need of a prosthetic leg, and 80% will not receive any emotional or physical rehabilitation support. Even though when thinking of charities, sending prosthetics to those in need to African communities may not be one of your first thoughts, that is why it is incredibly important for the organisation to keep going and for you to give what you can to this inspirational charity! Thousands of livelihoods will be changed forever with all donations, and the kindness of the anonymous person doubling all money given to L4F!

Legs4Africa Success Stories

Legs4Africa has benefitted the lives of so many, you can meet the amputees through the L4F website. One amputee included Kevin from Masindi, Uganda. In 2016, whilst Kevin was studying to be a prosthetic and orthotic technologist, he endured serious injuries from a tragic car accident. The accident resulted in serious burns and the need for amputation above the knee on his left leg. Kevin was able to receive a prosthesis, which has helped him feel more comfortable and confident with his work rather than using crutches. He further explained how the prosthetic leg has helped him feel better when dealing with his self-assurance due to having the increased ability to blend in with others in day-to-day life. It has further allowed him to resume his studies and has improved his work capability because it allows him to have full use of both hands and enhanced mobility on the job. He is actually due to complete his qualification this year! Without Legs4Africa, the life that Kevin now has wouldn’t be possible, he has expressed how both the accident and the journey with L4F of accessing a prosthetic leg has improved his life from a professional perspective as well, as he now has both the personal and educational knowledge behind the technology of prosthetics.

Davpack is proud to have worked with Legs4Africa by providing the charity with boxes for the shipment of prosthetics throughout Africa. We can’t believe how amazing the organisation truly is and fully support it with its goal of £100,000. We would love to see them succeed with their target, to find out more about the Leg Up Fundraiser and how you can assist in L4F reaching the milestone, click this link: https://www.legs4africa.org/legup/

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Sarah Hickson

With more than seven years experience as a member of the Davpack sales team, there are few who know more about the range of packaging materials we sell than Sarah. She recently left the company to become a full-time mother, but still maintains regular contact with her former colleagues. As well as sharing her own accumulated wisdom and experience on the blog, Sarah is looking forward to passing on stories from the front line of packaging sales. Davpack

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