The Wheelchair That I’ll Never Forget: What I Saw in India

By Baha Tashani, Project Manager at Penny Appeal

Earlier this summer, I travelled to India to see Penny Appeal’s work on the ground. I’ve worked closely with our fundraising and programmes for years, and I’ve seen the numbers, the photographs and the stories that come back from our projects. But there is something very different about standing in a village yourself and seeing what those donations actually mean to people.

During my week in India, I saw Penny Appeal donors’ generosity making a difference in so many different ways.

I saw families receiving food and meat. I saw water projects providing communities with access to something as fundamental as clean water. I saw income-generating projects, including sewing machines and fruit and vegetable carts, giving families the means to earn a living and become more financially independent.

Each project was different. But they all had the same thing in common: they were giving people a little more security, dignity and hope.

And then I met Aamir.

Aamir’s Story

Aamir is a young boy living in India who was born with cerebral palsy.

Before Penny Appeal provided him with a wheelchair, he had spent years largely confined to his bed. He couldn’t sit up or move around independently, and as he grew older, caring for him became increasingly difficult for his ageing parents.

For a child, something as simple as being able to sit outside, join your family at the table or leave your home can easily be taken for granted.

For Aamir, it was a freedom he had been missing.

When we arrived with his new wheelchair, the emotion of that moment is something I don’t think I’ll ever forget.

Aamir was emotional. His family was overwhelmed with gratitude. And, honestly, so were we.

There were tears among the people gathered at the distribution, including me.

It is difficult to explain what it feels like to witness a moment like that. A wheelchair might seem like a relatively simple item. But when you see what it means to someone who has spent years without the ability to move independently, you realise just how life-changing a simple act of generosity can be.

More Than a Wheelchair

What made Aamir’s story even more special was that this wasn’t the only support his family received. Alongside the wheelchair for Aamir, we were also able to support his father with a fruit and vegetable cart, giving him an opportunity to generate an income and support his family.

So, one family received two very different forms of help.

One provided mobility and independence for their son, the other provided an opportunity for his father to earn a living.

Together, they helped relieve some of the pressure that this family had been carrying. That was something I kept seeing throughout my time in India. Poverty isn’t usually one problem; it is a combination of problems.

A family may struggle to afford enough food. A parent may have no reliable source of income. A child may be unable to access education or healthcare. A community may lack clean water.

And sometimes, a relatively small intervention can make a much bigger difference than we might imagine.

The Reality I Saw in India

India is home to extraordinary communities, incredible generosity and remarkable resilience. But I also saw poverty that is difficult to comprehend until you witness it for yourself. In some of the villages and communities we visited, families were living with incredibly limited resources. The difference between having something and having nothing can be enormous. And that is why the work of Penny Appeal donors matters so much.

• A sewing machine can become an income.
• A fruit and vegetable cart can become a livelihood.
• A food parcel can mean a family has something to eat.
• A water project can give an entire community access to clean water.
• And a wheelchair can give a child the ability to move, participate and experience a degree of independence that they previously didn’t have.

These aren’t just projects; they are opportunities for people to live with greater dignity.

A Small Donation Can Make a Huge Difference

Before I travelled to India, I understood what a wheelchair donation could provide.

After meeting Aamir, I understood what it could mean.

His wheelchair didn’t solve every challenge his family faces. It didn’t remove poverty from their lives. But it changed something fundamental for him.

• It gave him mobility.
• It gave his parents some relief.
• It allowed him to participate more fully in family life.

And it gave him something that every child deserves: the opportunity to experience the world beyond the confines of a bed or a room.

That is why I won’t forget Aamir. Out of all the people I met during my trip, his story has stayed with me. It’s easy to look at a £100 donation and wonder whether it can really make a meaningful difference. Aamir reminded me that we shouldn’t underestimate what a relatively small donation can do. For someone living with very little, it can mean everything.

Be the Reason Someone Can Move Forward

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught us the importance of helping others:

“Allah helps His servant as long as he helps his brother.” - Sahih Muslim

There are millions of people around the world facing challenges that most of us will never have to experience.

• We may not be able to solve every problem.
• But we can help with one.
• We can provide food.
• We can provide clean water.
• We can help someone earn an income.
• And we can help someone move forward.

For £100, you can provide a wheelchair to a child or adult living with a disability, helping them gain greater mobility, independence and dignity.

Aamir’s story is a reminder that what might seem like a simple donation to us can represent freedom, independence and hope to someone else.

Donate a wheelchair today and help give someone the freedom that Aamir received.