The dinner raised $50,000 which was matched by the U.S. Department of State Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement. The elegant and informative event featured wine from the famed Chateau Margaux, and speakers such as Chateau Margaux owner Corinne Mentzelopoulos, Grapes for Humanity U.S. CEO Arlene Willis, and Dean’s Beans Fair Trade Coffee CEO, Dean Cycon, among others. The atmosphere was festive with moments of reflection as Grapes for Humanity showed a documentary about the Coffeelands Trust and landmine victims in Central America.

All of us who are part of the Coffeelands Landmine Victims’ Trust extend our heartfelt thanks to Arlene Willis and her wonderful team at Grapes for Humanity U.S.

Grapes for Humanity has contributed more than $280,000 to the Polus Center to help people with disabilities to help themselves. With this financial support, resources to assist people with disabilities are now established in areas where few if any supports were available.

Since 1999, Grapes for Humanity has supported Walking Unidos in Leon, Nicaragua. Walking Unidos is a prosthetic clinic providing prosthetic devices for landmine victims, including women and children.

• Since opening in 1999, Walking Unidos has produced over 600 prosthetic limbs, repaired over 700 prosthetic devices, and has fitted over 2,700 orthopedic mobility aids.
• In 2005 Grapes for Humanity purchased a much-needed vehicle for Walking Unidos
• In 2002 Grapes for Humanity built and equipped Vida Nueva, a new prosthetic clinic in Choluteca, Honduras. Vida Nueva has produced over 180 prosthetic limbs, and over 1,150 orthoses.
• Grapes for Humanity supports a micro-credit & small business development program for women with disabilities affected by leprosy in Ethiopia
• Grapes for Humanity supports a village banking program and has provided over 27 mobility aids for people with disabilities in the community of Lusaka, Zambia

To learn more about Grapes for Humanity please visit grapesforhumanity.com

To learn more about the State Department matching grant, visit www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/dec/97934.htm

A wheelchair should be designed to meet the demands of the area where it will be used. This chair allows the user to deal with the lack of curb cuts, unpaved roads and rough terrain - conditions that exist in most of the coffee growing regions of the world. Photo courtesy of Whirlwind Wheelchair International

Without the ability to get around, a person quickly loses access to the social and economic opportunities that keep them from being further victimized by financial, educational and political impoverishment. Being with family and friends. Going to work. Shopping at the market. The basic activities of day-to-day life. These are at the foundation of social well-being.

By donating funds to build a wheelchair, you can assist a landmine victim to remain part of community life.

Sound expensive? It’s not. A high quality wheelchair can be built for 225.00 USD.

The wheelchairs provided to landmine victims by the Coffeelands Landmine Victims’ Trust in Central America are made by PLUSAA, a locally run, locally staffed wheelchair workshop in Leon, Nicaragua.

Each wheelchair built is customized for the person who will use it. The design and fabrication of the chair takes into account the unique physical needs of the user, and the conditions under which the chair will be used. Unpaved roads and pathways and the lack of ramps and curb cuts mean the wheelchairs need to be built to last under tough conditions.

People have asked us why we don’t use donated wheelchairs. There are several reasons. Donated chairs most often do not fit and are not suited to the individual users needs, and are expensive to modify. They can, if improperly fitted, pose a real hazard to the very people they are intended to help. They are rarely up to the demands of the rough terrain where they will be used. Donated chairs have to be transported at a significant cost, and often need frequent repairs.

In addition to providing high quality wheelchairs, PLUSAA also provides employment opportunities for people with disabilities in an area where unemployment is high. PLUSAA staff are wheelchair users themselves, and they understand what makes a good chair. PLUSAA also provides repair and maintenance services, and educational support on how to care for and repair a wheelchair at home.

Julio Vallejo Returns to Work. With his wheelchair, Julio Vallejo can work at the mill. Photo by Stephen Petegorsky.

In places where getting back to the wheelchair clinic is difficult, these are important skills to learn. PLUSAA also purchases manufacturing materials from local companies, and thus contributes to the local economy. The advantage of locally built wheelchairs are discussed in further detail in two articles that can be found on the web:

• International Wheelchair Donors and Producers Seek Common Ground in Global Hamlet; Disability World, 9/00
• It’s Not About Wheelchairs; Krizack, 6/03