Zegatapeta Village, Northern Malawi … As a small boy, he spent much of his time on the porch waiting for his friends to come and play with him. All too often no one came, and he sat there alone. No matter the distance, a long way, or even close by, it was all a problem for young Limbani. He had been robbed of his ability to freely move about because of polio. `
This dreaded disease ravished the lives of massive numbers of people in Africa long after it was eradicated in the west. The last case of polio originating in the U.S. in 1979, while the last person entering the country with the disease was in 1993. However, as late as last year Africa still recorded 400 cases of polio while in the Asian nations of Afghanistan and Pakistan it is still endemic.
For Limbani, now 31, the end of the disease came too late for him to ever walk about freely again. However, everything changed when two men from the Action for Progress northern distribution center recently visited the family. Limbani was sitting on the front porch anticipating their arrival. They unloaded a brand-new pink and turquoise mobility unit from the vehicle. When they handed it over to him, he immediately began to move about successfully. Excitement spread through the crowd of relatives who had gathered to watch.
“What you have done is what the Bible describes as love. You have given me a reason to start assembling with the church, as well as being able to go to the community field to watch soccer games. All I can say is thank you,” he concluded as he hand-peddled into a much different future.