IMPACT REPORT - Legs4Africa

IMPACT REPORT

2021 -2022

GETTING PEOPLEBACK ON THEIRFEET

A MESSAGE FROM OUR DIRECTOR

I t is hard to express the challenges that the last two years have thrown up for us at Legs4Africa in thefew words I have been al located!

In many ways it has been heartwrenching: there were profound losses for many of our fr iends andpartners, and an inspirational member of our Gambian team passed away; we saw UK Aid funding cutjust days before l i fe-changing work was set to start in Uganda; and we saw how the economic impactof the pandemic hit the people we serve in sub-Saharan Afr ica, leaving us feel ing powerless andtrapped behind our lockdown screens.

In response to any disaster though, it is how we react and learn that shapes who we are and theorganisations we are part of . I am thankful to our loyal supporters and donors, and proud of how ourteam has adapted their projects and ways of working quickly, and I bel ieve it has made ourorganisation stronger. For example, our UK team and our Afr ican partners and staff are now in muchmore regular contact due to the wonders of video chat, which has the additional benefit of us beingable to lower our carbon footprint with less travel needed to ensure projects are running smoothly.

Training and conferences have opened up to many people who haven’t been able to access thembefore. The recent surge in online accessibi l ity means that some professionals working in remoteregions can now attend, and network at events around the world that would have previously beendiff icult due to costs, visas and t ime away from home. Our f irst cohort of technicians have beentrained and f inished their internships, which means four females with l imb-loss are now available toenter the prosthetics workforce in Afr ica. Six more have now started on that same journey.

At the start of the pandemic we were concerned that we would run out of legs, and this stresshas pushed us to unimaginable growth across the globe. With mobil ity centres in the UK deemednon-essential parts of the NHS for a while, we started looking elsewhere for prosthetic legs, weare now receiving legs from USA, Canada, Austral ia and across Europe. We have adapted ourmeans of shipping, f inding more rel iable and environmentally fr iendly means of transport, withour partners Nav Solidaire, making our f irst del ivery by sai l from France to West Afr ica.

Along with receiving a prosthetic leg, we value the emotional health of the people we support.The last two years have been bumpy for our community groups with meetings regularlycancelled due to changing government restrict ions. As a response, the one on one peer supportand counsell ing services have helped to f i l l that gap, with trained local amputees in Uganda,Gambia and Ghana now visit ing newly amputated patients in hospitals and at home to help themtalk through the trauma of losing a l imb, the st igma they may face, and the options they haveavailable for assist ive technologies and accessing local community support.

With lessons learnt and our projects developing, we are now veryexcited to continue on our path towards helping more people insub-Saharan Afr ica walk, work and party!

Phil TunstallLegs4Africa - Managing Director

OUR VISION AND MISSION

OUR VISION

OUR MISSION

A F F O R D A B L E R E H A B I L I T A T I O N F O R A M P U T E E S A C R O S S S U B - S A H A R A N A F R I C A

T O H E L P P E O P L E W I T H L I M B D I F F E R E N C E L I V E I N D E P E N D E N T L Y , T H R O U G H T H E P R O V I S O N O FP R O S T H E T I C L E G S A L O N G W I T H P H Y S I C A L A N D E M O T I O N A L R E H A B I L I T A T I O N

6

We are hoping toenhance prostheticand orthotic servicesfor people in need. Weare grateful toLegs4Africa and al l i tssupporters for theirwonderful donationsthat are getting usback in prostheticfabrication

Prosthetist - A2D Services, Benin

Serge Alladagbe

WHAT DO LEGS4AFRICA DO?ACCESS - SERVICES - WELLBEING

We improve access to recycled prostheticlegs because everyone should have theopportunity to walk, work and dance again,at an affordable price.

We improve services because everyoneshould have access to good qualityfacilities, training opportunities andcomfortable care.

We improve the well-being of peoplewith limb differences becauseeveryone should have access to thesupport they need to get back on theirfeet.

Improving access torecycled prosthetic legs

VOLUNTEERS HELP TO CO-ORDINATE THIS PART OF THE PROCESS, MAKING SURETHE LEGS GET ALL THE WAY FROMTHE HOSPITALS AND OTHERDONORS TO OUR GLOBALCOLLECTION POINTS

Across most of the world, prosthetic legscan't be reused so they end up in landfi l lsalong with our avocado stones and crunchedup beer cans. Meanwhile, in sub-SaharanAfrica, 1.7 mil l ion people are in need of al imb to help them l ive independent l ives.Legs4Africa is the charity aiming to changethis imbalance.

We collect unwanted legs, dismantle themand then ship the serviced components tomobility centres across seven countries insub-Saharan Africa.

SUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENT GOAL

The Leicester Special ist Mobil ity Centre are proudto support Legs4Africa. Our patients and theirfamil ies take great comfort knowing that theirunwanted l imbs and components are making a realdifference to individuals, where the abil ity to beable to walk again means so much more than simplyregaining mobil ity.

Leicester Special ist Mobil ity Centre, UKHelen Naylor, Lead Prosthetist

RESCUING LEGSMany prosthetic legs end up in landfi l l s ites every yearbecause they are outgrown, upgraded or the owner has passedaway. The majority of legs wil l contain components that aregood enough to be reused.

Since 2014, we have collected and recycled over 12,000 legsfrom mobil ity centres, funeral directors and individuals acrossEurope, Australia, Canada and the USA.

DISMANTLING LEGS

Many of the prosthetic legs we receive from mobil ity centres havealready been dismantled by cl inical staff . The legs that haven’t yetbeen broken down into components are sent to volunteer teams madeup of groups of retired gentlemen, thanks to Men’s Shed – aninternational charity that builds community spaces for men to connect,converse, and create. Encouraging retired men to take part in practicalactivit ies together helps to reduce loneliness and social isolation.

Dismantl inglegs has givenmany of our

members a worthwhiletask and they clearlyappreciate how muchthey are helpingamputees in Afr icaregain their l i fe.

WARMLEY MEN’S SHEDMERVYN BISHOP

SHIPPING LEGS

Boxes of prosthetic leg components and other materials l ike stump socks aredelivered by door-to-door courier services. This allows us to get legs out toeven the most remote areas and the most marginalised communities. Once thecomponents have arrived, prosthetists at the centres use them to build orrepair prosthetic l imbs for people who otherwise may never walk again.

Once the parts are ready for delivery we box them up and sendthem out to their forever homes across sub-Saharan Africa. Weare currently partnered with 9 mobility centres across 7countries. We ensure each centre has the expertise and theresources needed to utilise the parts we send.

I f there are 100 amputees in The Gambia, Legs4Africahas contributed to the l ives of 99 of them. It ’s veryheartening to know that you can do it for childrenand they can play football , they can run, they caneven r ide their bicycles to school. For me that’s joy.

Head Prosthetist , Banjul Mobil ity Centre, The GambiaGABRIEL JARJUE

Improving Serivces

Improving equipment and faci l it ies at mobil itycentres across sub-Saharan Afr ica

Improving services for females and improvingaccess to training opportunit ies for peopleworking in the Prosthetics and Orthotics sector

This part of our work focuses on two main areas:

Through working closely with in-countryprosthetists and technicians we have learnt thatmany of the centres we work with simply do nothave the faci l it ies or the equipment to be able toprovide adequate support to people with l imbdifference.

A new oven and a donatedprosthetic router (as well as lotsof legs!) arr ived at their newhome at the Ganta Rehab Centrein Liberia, as part of our ProjectUpgrade which provides fundingfor equipment, machinery andtraining for prosthetic workshopsthat receive our prostheticcomponents.

Improving equipment and facilities

Funded three ovens, and sent one-second handrepaired ovenSent two repaired suction lamination machines andpurchased two moreSent two second-hand socket routersSent numerous hand toolsEnsured al l centres are stocked with PPEFunded multipurpose machine for suction anddrapingFunded improvements to one workshop walkway forincreased accessibi l ityFunded two laptops and a printerSent one sewing machine

We’ve been working alongside partners to work outexactly what they need in order to enhance services attheir centres. So far we have:

Legs4africa has made it possible for me toacquire the up to date knowledge that isrequired to rehabil itate those who areamputated and even beyond. This experience hasearned me a good repute amongst my colleaguesand I am confident that I can do much betterthan before.

PROSTHETISTEBRIMA KRUBALLY

Improving servicesfor females

There is an enormous need to develop the f ieldof prosthetics in my country because of thehigh number of people with disabil it ies and wehave very few professionals. Through TATCOT Ihave been able to lay a foundation in achievinggreater things

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTWINNIE

In sub-Saharan Africa the prosthetics and orthoticssector is hugely male dominated. According to some,this can result in fewer females with limb differenceaccessing services as they are reluctant to go throughthe invasive procedures with a male prosthetist.

In 2020, we launched a new scholarship scheme whichaims to enable women with l imb-loss to increase theiremployabil ity and build careers in the prostheticsindustry, while challenging norms and stigma aroundgender and disabil ity. We hope that through this schemewe can not only improve female representation within thesector, but we can also ensure more women are accessingthe services and support they need to get back on theirfeet.

The scheme enables women with l imb-loss to enrol in aone-year Certif icate Course in Lower-Limb Prosthetics atTATCOT (Tanzania Training Centre for OrthopaedicTechnologists). So far we have supported 10 ladies, all ofwhom have lower l imb differences.

Across sub-Saharan Africa there are not enough trainedprosthetists and technicians to meet the needs of people withlimb differences. When we first started working in TheGambia, there was only one trained prosthetist in the entirecountry.

As well as offering training scholarships to female amputees, wenow also provide grants for continuing professional developmenttraining and higher education courses in Prosthetics andOrthotics.

In 2021, Morrow f inished his three year course in Prosthetics atthe Orthopaedic Training Centre in Nsawam, Ghana. With thisquali f ication, Morrow became The Gambia’s second quali f iedprosthetist . He is now able to commence work at Banjul Mobil ityCentre and he wil l be available to take over when Gabu retires.

We’ve also funded short courses in Diabetic Foot Managementand Spinal Orthotics for staff at St Joseph Kagondo Hospital inTanzania.

Improving access to training

IMPROVING WELLBEING

We do this by improving access to physical and mental wellbeing services, and bycollaborating with local amputee-led groups to ensure they have al l the resources andknowledge they need to become self-sustaining, ful ly empowered organisations thatmeet the needs of people with l imb differences in their community.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELLBEING

I lost my leg last year after helping the children with art at the day-care centre I work at – I stepped on a drawing pin and it got infected.

My prosthetic was f itted in June and I am already back working twice aweek - this would not have been possible without my new leg and the careand advice I have got from Bob. I have 3 daughters, one of whom Iadopted at 4 days old when my neighbour passed away due to childbirthcomplications. I have experienced a lot of pain in my l i fe, I only have oneeye too, but look, I have always managed to overcome it!

DAY CARE WORKER, THE GAMBIA

TAKO

When Legs4Afria started, we focused oncollecting and sending prostheticcomponents to cl inics in sub-SaharanAfrica, but quickly real ised how much morepeople need in order to get through thetrauma of l imb loss.

Amputation can lead to depression, anxietyand PTSD. It is estimated that 66% ofamputees develop a mental health disorderas a result of l imb loss and in countries l ikeThe Gambia, 80% of people wil l not receiveany emotional or physical rehabil itationsupport.

To ensure even people in hard-to-reach areas can access the supportthey need we have developedcommunity outreach programmesthat focus on providing vitalemotional wellbeing services as wellas physical outreach care.

Our teams visit amputees in thecommunity to check on wellbeing,make basic improvements to legs,and provide physiotherapy andadvice on exercises and healthcare.

COMMUNITYPARTNERSHIPS

The Gambian Amputee AssociationThe Gambian Ladies Partnership GroupAmputee Self Help Network, UgandaSmiles of Hope, GhanaThe Gambia Amputee Football Team (GAFT)

To further enhance the wellbeing of peoplewith l imb loss in the community, we mustwork alongside local amputee-ledorganisations across sub-Saharan Afr ica, tohelp them to grow and become self-sustaining. These groups hold hugeimportance as they not only provide amputeeswith a safe space to work through trauma andbuild relationships, but they also advocate fordisabil ity r ights and help to f ight st igma.

We support these organisations by improvingtheir access to training, resources and fundingso they can formalise and become self-sustaining.

Currently, we are working with thefollowing organisations:

The group has helped me understand that being anamputee doesn't mean you can't do anything. Thatalone has helped me get to another stage in l i fe,because l i fe goes on. The association is l ike a familyto me, that I belong to, that makes me very happy

FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE GAMBIAN AMPUTEE ASSOCIATION

THE LATE, GREAT MUSA KANDEH

OUR IMPACT

12,229

How we're improving people's quality of life

IMPROVING ACCESS TOPROSTHETIC LEGS

We improve access to recycled

prosthetic legs becauseeveryone should have the

opportunity to walk, work anddance again, at an affordable

price.

TOTAL LEGS RECYCLED

IMPROVING SERVICES

We improve services becauseeveryone should have access

to good quality faci l it ies,training opportunit ies and

comfortable care.

10

WE HAVE SPONSOREDFEMALE PROSTHETISTS

WITH LIMB DIFFERENCES

7WE HAVE IMPROVED

FACILITIES ATMOBILITY CENTRES

IMPROVING WELLBEING

We improve the wellbeing ofpeople with l imb differences

because everyone should haveaccess to the support they

need to get back on their feet.

226

WE HAVE SUPPORTEDWITH MOTIONAL

REHABILITATION

5WE WORK WITH

AMPUTEE-LEDCOMMUNITY GROUPS

FINANCES

Regular

Gifts

Campaig

ns

Grants

and Tr

usts

Gift Aid

One-off g

ifts

500,000

400,000

300,000

200,000

100,000

0

Fundrai

sing

Direct

Activit

y Cost

Office C

ost

Staff C

ost

250,000

200,000

150,000

100,000

50,000

0

Income - £574,586 Expenditure - £512,420

For every £1 we spent on fundraising in 2021-22, we raised £7.61

THANK YOU

E V E R Y Y E A R W E A R E H E L P I N G T O G E T T H O U S A N D S O F P E O P L E B A C K O N T H E I R F E E T .

T h i s i s p o s s i b l e b e c a u s e o f p e o p l e l i k e y o u . T h a n k y o u f o r b e l i e v i n g i n t h e w o r k o fL e g s 4 A f r i c a , i t ’ s a p l e a s u r e t o b e w a n d e r i n g a l o n g t h i s p a t h w i t h y o u .

G i v i n g a r e g u l a r d o n a t i o n i s t h e b e s t w a y t o s u p p o r t p e o p l e w i t h l i m b d i f f e r e n c e s i n

s u b - S a h a r a n A f r i c a a s i t m e a n s e v e r y m o n t h w e h a v e r e l i a b l e , f l e x i b l e i n c o m e t h a t w ec a n u s e t o e n s u r e p e o p l e c o n t i n u e t o r e c e i v e s u p p o r t , e v e n w h e n t i m e s a r e h a r d .

Legs4Africa would like to acknowledge and thank all of the generousindividuals, businesses, trusts and organisations

that have supported Legs4Africa financially, logistically or otherwise. It’s apleasure to have you on board, thank you

for getting people walking again, one leg at a time.

Every month, our squad of mobil isers ensure that we have a chunk of rel iable, f lexible income in thebank. In return, we ensure they are the f irst to receive newsflashes, and we l ike to send them postcardsfrom our travels. Our mobil isers are part of our team, and we are proud to walk alongside them.

Making a monthly donation is by far the best way to support Legs4Africa. I t gives us the freedom to beinnovative and creative in our approach and having a dependable income means we can confidentlyadapt and respond quickly in crisis s ituations.

YOUR SUPPORT

TO JOIN JOHN AND THE GANG HEAD TO WWW.LEGS4AFRICA.ORG/SUPPORT

I lost my left leg in a road traff ic accident at twelve. Later in l i fe, I became a trustee of a disabil ity charityand visited many prosthetic centres in Afr ica, India and Thailand. Some of these centres were eff icient butmost needed support in training, equipment and most notably in the supply of l imb materials and parts.

I choose to donate to Legs4Africa as I know that this is the most eff icient and cost-effective way ofsupporting those in other regions of the World that do not have the benefit of accessing the prostheticservices that I had as a boy and sti l l do.

LEGS4AFRICA MONTHLY DONOR

JOHN DE RITTER

EVERY YEAR, WE ARE GIVING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THE ULTIMATE LEG-UP

Thank you for believing in the work of Legs4Africa and thank you for wandering along this path with us.

WWW.LEGS4AFRICA.ORG REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1158697 LEGS4AFRICA, BACKFIELDS HOUSE, UPPER YORK STREET, BRISTOL, BS2 8QJ, UK