Like I have always said, some of the most amazing stories I’ve come across since coming to work here at CURE Zambia have been those coming from our dedicated staff.  Chris and Geoffrey are no exception.  Chris and Geoffrey have been working at CURE Zambia since May of this year, and their story is truly uplifting.

Just behind the CURE Zambia kitchen is a large storage container that most passersby would never give a second glance.  When I approached the container, I saw a small man repairing a shoe with an electric saw.  He introduced himself as Geoffrey and told me to come into his workshop.  What I saw on the inside of that container amazed me so much that I was shocked that it hadn’t gotten more press coverage.  Row upon row of shoe braces (used as a corrective tool for children suffering from clubbed feet) were hanging from the ceiling.  A myriad of crutches and walking frames were leaning against the walls.  Clearly, Geoffrey and his business associate, Chris, were very busy.  How could I have not known about all of this activity taking place on the hospital grounds?  I posed this question to Geoffrey, who saw my amazement and laughed.

“We do all sorts of things here,” he said cheerfully.  “We build equipment for disabled children!”

32-year-old Geoffrey and 38-year-old Chris started their organization, The Zambian Association of Children with Disabilities, in March of 2011.  The organization was born out of the need for a company to make equipment for disabled children in Zambia. It also works as a skill mentorship program.  “We are disabled, and we saw how badly disabled children were being treated,” said Chris.  “We thought of the idea of building equipment as a way to help disabled children and the hospitals treating these children.”

Chris, who suffered from polio as a child, and Geoffrey, who lost his leg to a flesh eating disease in 1999, are both trained cobblers and carpenters.  Soon after registering their organization, they read about CURE Zambia in the paper and approached the hospital to offer their services.  “We live across the street from the hospital, so it was a logical choice,” said Chris.  CURE Zambia gave both men an instructional manual on making a shoe brace as a way to see what the men were capable of doing.  CURE Zambia was very impressed with their work.  “We are so happy to have these guys right here on the premises,” said Victor Chabala, CURE Clubfoot Worldwide coordinator for Zambia.  “At one point we were paying nearly $11 US for one pair of braces.”  In fact, CURE Zambia was originally ordering these braces in bulk, sometimes receiving sizes that were not needed.  Now, with Chris and Geoffrey, CURE Zambia is able to order according to need—at just under $7 US a pair!

In addition to making top-quality shoe braces, Chris and Geoffrey build chairs for children suffering from cerebral palsy and spina bifida.  As you can imagine, Chris and Geoffrey’s skills are now in high demand.  “Things are really taking off for us now,” said Geoffrey. “We are getting calls from clinics all over Lusaka to make equipment for them!”   Things have gotten so busy that Chris and Geoffrey are now beginning to mentor and train other disabled young people so they can help with the association and business!

Chris and Geoffrey are extremely grateful to CURE Zambia for giving them a chance to use their skills for the betterment of Zambian society.  “The sad thing is that many parents of disabled children think that their children cannot do anything and are useless,” said Chris. “We are an example that when someone is given a chance, they can do anything!”