Durban - Tamera Gangadien is doing her bit to make the world a better by providing wheelchairs to families in need who can’t afford them.
Gangadien, 27, an auditor from uMhlanga, launched her initiative, dubbed Impact, in memory of her late mother.
"In August last year, my mother's health deteriorated rapidly after she contracted Covid. She went from working 12-hour shifts as a controller at a security company to barely being able to take a few steps to get a glass of water.
"My mum was then admitted to hospital. I remember helping her to get into the wheelchair and realised how important a wheelchair was to someone who was ill. My last embrace with her was in that wheelchair so this project is special to me.”
Caring is part of her family values, she said.
“My parents, Vino Singh and Allen Gangadien, would often leave everything they were doing to help someone in need.
"A month after mum's death, my husband Kenthran Govender and I started Impact. We named the initiative Impact because it was short and had a strong sound when pronounced.”
Gangadien explained the reasoning behind the project’s name, saying: "Impact means to have a strong effect on someone or something. It aligned with what I want to do in society.
“So far, my husband and I have helped families with monthly donations for groceries and paying for their GP consults and blood tests. I also collected and donated clothing to a few families that were affected by the floods in April."
The couple have donated seven wheelchairs so far.
She said recipients were screened to ensure they were deserving.
"I purchase second-hand wheelchairs and I accept donations of wheelchairs. Some donors have bought wheelchairs with the hope of their loved ones living a better quality of life only to lose them a few days later.
"This keeps taking me back to when I had hoped that my mum would be home with us and sharing the love, but we were robbed of our pillar of strength. There are so many people on the same journey."
Her sister Shelina Gangadien and brother-in-law Nishanthan Govender, who live in Gauteng, are also assisting with wheelchair collections and distributions in the province.
If you would like to learn more about Impact, call Gangadien on 081 040 2006.