For Ukraine’s disabled, a wheelchair means dignity

For Ukraine’s disabled, a wheelchair means dignity

Ukraine is a nation of 44 million people. More than 2.5 million of them have disabilities — 200,000 of those are children. Though the government of Ukraine is required by law to provide its people with mobility aids (wheelchairs, walkers, canes, crutches), few resources are available to meet this need. The result: many citizens live cradle to grave in isolation, segregated from mainstream society and unable to participate in daily activities most of us take for granted. For Ukraine’s disabled, a wheelchair means dignity.

One organization is working to change the status quo. God’s Hidden Treasures (GHT) is a non-profit Christian ministry founded in 1997 by Nita Hanson, a former computer marketing manager from Southern California. “Our mission is to serve the needs of the poor, afflicted, and orphaned of Ukraine and to bring God’s love through personal relationships in the name of Jesus Christ,” says Hanson. Continue reading