After more than two decades of limited mobility and accessing to basic services and facilities, Lungelwa Mkwani’s life took a turn for the better as Mogale City Local Municipality Executive Mayor Danny Thupane provided her with a wheelchair.
Driving on a near rickety battery-powered wheelchair for long distances to do her errands will now be a thing of the past, as Mkwani, will now drive the street of Kagiso Extension 12 in a Galaxy battery-powered wheelchair.
Mkwani, the founder of Home of Hope Disability, was born with Osteogenesis imperfecta condition, is a motivational speaker and a disability awareness activist in her area. Osteogenesis imperfecta, colloquially known as brittle bone disease, is a group of genetic disorders that all result in bones that break easily.
The physically challenged mother-of-one was filled with tears of joy after she received a brand-new wheelchair from Executive Mayor Thupane after hearing her life challenges through the City’s Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) responsible for Finance, Councillor Doreen David.
Executive Mayor Thupane said it pained him to see Mkwani struggling in achieving what she loves most and being unable to access basic facilities due to her being physically challenged.
“We please as a municipality that we our playing our part in making sure that people with limited mobility are able to access the basic services and do what abled-bodied persons can do,” Executive Mayor Thupane said.
“We understand what physically challenged people go through, and we would like to encourage you to continue do what you do best. This donation is a symbol of hope, and you did not allow your disability to be a challenge to you,” Executive May Thupane concluded.
The donation of the wheelchair coincided with her 26-year-birthday, which was celebrated with a handover of the birthday cake by Councillor David.
Councillor David said: “We are here to celebrate your new wheels of life and your birthday. We want to celebrate you while you are still alive and this a token of appreciation from our municipality and we want to thank you for your community work.”
Mkwani could not hold her tears as she receives the wheelchair and a birthday cake from. She added that her new wheelchair will assist her in restores her independence and mobility.
Upon receiving her present Mkwani said: “I’m so grateful that today I’m blessed and would like to thank Mogale City for hearing and understanding my struggle. I want to thank you guys and wish God would bless you so that you can extend your generous actions to other disable people,” Mkwani said while her mother, Dinah wipes off tears.
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Soweto Sunrise News
