Peru: Free Wheelchair Mission

Day 1: Monday, January 31, 2011

We are off to Peru! Tim, Cody and I met in Miami and boarded a 4:45 flight to Lima, the capital city of Peru. Our flight arrived around 11:00 p.m. and we navigated customs without issue. Free Wheelchair Mission (FWM) had arranged for us to meet Adam, a young American who works and lives in Lima, as well as Joe, an experienced volunteer who speaks fluent Spanish and has visited Peru many times. Joe was due in on a flight from Los Angeles at around midnight. I was amazed at how many people filled the airport at such a late hour.... especially little kids. They were everywhere... and full of energy. I also noticed large families... many of them gathering to welcome home travelers. We sat and watched and waited. Joe got delayed in baggage claim so we didn't leave the airport until around 1:00 am. We were all pretty tired and ready for bed at 2 am when we reached our hotel.

Day 2 : Tuesday, February 1, 2011

So, why are we in Peru? It is a question I had not contemplated in depth when I first heard of the opportunity. I had spent the last few months working to promote FWM in my facility and to other councils, and I jumped at the chance... but why did I need to come to Peru? And why is the President and CEO of our company traveling all the way to Peru to distribute wheelchairs in the middle of a very busy time back at work?  What is the motivation? What is the message and purpose? Okay, delivering wheelchairs is good... but it is more than that right? In honesty I didn't immediately have the answer. But  it was worth exploring. Maybe the answer will come in the next three days...or maybe some time later...either way I am here and ready to begin this adventure.

Don, the founder of FWM...  was on a vacation to Morocco when he watched a woman crawl across a street. Reality...right there in front of him. It inspired him to use his talents and education to build a low cost wheelchair that could traverse muddy streets and survive difficult conditions. He envisioned a way to fill a need,  understanding that cost was a barrier that needed to be addressed. Cost would limit the amount of chairs that could be purchased and distributed with donated funds. Don  designed and built a wheelchair that allows you and I the chance to take a little of what we have ... and totally and dramatically impact another human’s life. That is powerful. Sixty-dollars... changes everything... that is a compelling story.

I suppose Don experienced enlightenment...is enlightenment why we are here? I asked Tim Connolly the question this morning at breakfast. Those of you who know Tim also know he is passionate about giving and being a servant leader. So I pushed Tim a bit....because I knew his answer would be genuine and straightforward. Why did you travel to Peru to deliver wheelchairs? Without hesitation Tim explained that he is very fortunate in life. Like his father, he looks for ways to pay forward and this trip is an opportunity to see, first hand, how Free Wheelchair Mission dramatically impacts an individual life. He explained that he wants to be able to see it and feel it. He wants to be able to accurately communicate the direct impact that our associates donations have made on  these individual lives. He wants to be able to carry those memories home and work even harder personally and professionally to make a positive difference and to enable others to do the same.

So... why did we come to Peru? Well Tim captured part of it. We came to see the direct impact  a Wheelchair can have on an individuals life. We came to represent all of those associates who continue to support their councils as well as the Free Wheelchair Mission. But there is more. And I think the rest of that answer is buried in the next few days. It's easy to anticipate an experience....but we are going into difficult areas where everyday life is a struggle. Our world from suburban neighborhood to work and back doesn't really show us all we need to know. This trip is about understanding.

Assembly

Okay, I have proof... Cody can turn a wrench. In fact, he is pretty good at it. We traveled to a local Church today to assemble a few of the chairs that we will be distributing the next couple of days. To actually build the chairs... knowing we would be able to carry them into someone's home... was a thrill. With the help of our new friends Nancy and her team from church, we began assembly. If you have never built one, they are fairly simple, well designed.... and with a few mistakes and lots of sweat (seriously...it was hot) we managed to assemble 8 chairs in a short time. I was hoping for a photo of Cody with his hair hanging in his face or something similar... but the guy managed to stay looking smooth despite the heat. Tim however... well you can imagine...lol. Chair assembly was a success and we were ready. Now off to Ancon

Our First Visit

In Cranbury we have several associates from Peru. When I told them I was coming here I saw a change in their eyes. That sudden remembrance of home does that to us. I also saw tremendous pride... and I am beginning to understand why. Every Peruvian we have encountered so far has been incredibly gracious and pleasant. When you meet them they have a unique way of making you feel like you are part of their family. I think about how we might greet travelers back in the states and worry that we might often fall  a little short in that regard. The people of Peru obviously value family. All along the bumpy trip North from Lima I saw lots of kids and many were with mom walking to market or huddled in the shade together. I had plenty of window time because the traffic is tough...wow...no kidding...my Peruvian friends had warned me with sly grins. Yes, Chicago... maybe even DC and LA... you might have traffic... but this traffic is not like traffic you have seen. It is random, no lines no lights no rules... bumper to bumper ... rubbing is racing kind of traffic. Buses, motorcycles, and homemade wagons... everything is on the road and you had better not flinch or you will go nowhere. As we traveled the landscape became more arid and the communities were starting to contrast with the modern characteristics of Lima. The living conditions were becoming noticeably more difficult. Two dusty hours later we reached the village of Ancon.

Ancon was very dry and almost like a town in an old west film. The vegetation was sparse and prickly. We walked along a six foot concrete wall and pushed through a metal door to a small open courtyard. Inside a dark doorway I could make out two light blue wheelchairs and the silhouettes of two people peering out at us. We were introduced to Manuel and Christina Are Urbena, an amazing couple, both of whom deal with the crippling effects of Polio. They were sitting in chairs given to them by FWM. These particular chairs were part of a Second Generation Chair that Dan had designed and we wanted to see how they were working out. Manuel explained how his wife had an aluminum chair once a long time ago. It had fallen apart so she took it to get it repaired. Since they had no money to pay for the repair, the chair was sold... leaving her with no chair and no way to get around independently. FWM had given them both mobility enabling them to live their lives together. Although his legs do not function well, Manuel’s upper body was muscular and he explained that he uses his chair in marathons in the village. He proudly showed us his trophy. Christina by contrast was very petite and explained that often times Manuel ties his chair to hers and pulls her around when she is too weak. Their love for each other seemed to radiate from them. They are able to earn some money by making greeting cards from paper and bird feathers. They sit in their wheelchairs pulled up to a tiny table and glue multi-colored bird feathers to card stock in elaborate and beautiful designs. They were perfect and I wished they had more for us to purchase. We visited with these new friends for a while and I found myself wanting to be able to see them again someday, knowing that I probably never would. Tim and Cody obviously felt the same way. We didn't want to leave these people. It was a connection. It happened in a few short minutes. And it was magical. Why did we come to Peru?

The trip back to the room was still long and bumpy...but we took a different route out along the coast. Longer but less traffic...I said less traffic... that is still lots of traffic. The coast was nice  with big crashing waves and the occasional surfer. We stopped for a cold Inca Cola and returned to the hotel to rest and refuel. If today was any indication, the rest of the week will certainly continue to provide answers.