Prosthetic Legs in Ciamis

 

If you look close you can tell that all of the people in the front row have prosthetic legs. Some are new and some of the prosthetics are quite old and were replaced at this event. They all received new limbs but most will carry them home because it takes a couple of weeks to break in the new prosthetic so that it is comfortable to wear. Many of those standing also have prosthetic legs. Some, however, are the organizers. This was a joint event organized by the local disabled person's organization and supported by local government, the NGO that makes the limbs, and the Church which funds these projects. 

This is a photo from the opening ceremony for the fitting of the prosthetics. The man on the left is from the Foundation Peduli Tuna Daksa, which makes the prosthetics. The next is Elder Lee. He and his wife are local part-time humanitarian missionaries but Elder Lee seems to be working nearly full-time on humanitarian and running his building inspection business part-time. He is extremely dedicated. The woman in the center, wearing the black hijab, is one of the recipients. The little boy is her grandson. The man next to him is a local elected official and he could only stay for a short time because of other business but he gave some encouraging remarks to the recipients before he left. The woman holding the microphone was in charge of the event. She is a candidate for public office and very involved in community affairs. She speaks some English and she and Cheri became good friends. 

This young man is 22 years old. When I came and sat by them he was patiently helping Sister Lambson to converse in Indonesian. He is here to get a prosthetic for his lower leg and foot that he will use at work and other formal settings to make him look more normal and walk around with a more normal gait. He was born without any fingers on his hands and without a right foot. Both of his parents died when he was young and he is one of the most positive young men we have ever met. He smiled and talked to us cheerfully for half an hour while awaiting his turn. He works at a store and I asked him how he could do his job without any fingers. He quickly showed us how he could place an object between his hands and lift it. He then showed us how he could easily unbutton and button one of his shirt buttons. He plays soccer and volleyball. I asked if he played on a handicapped team with a lower net or anything and he said no, he plays with a normal team. He then told Cheri he also plays guitar and when we asked how that was done he just replied, "I have my own method". He seems very determined to lead a full life in spite of his handicap, which I'm not sure he considers to be a handicap at all. I felt in my heart to never complain about anything again.

The three pictures above show the facility which was kindly made available by the owner at no charge for this event. It is a beautiful open-air facility set out on the edge of rice padis. The owner spoke to the group in the opening ceremony and told all of the recipients that if they would ever like to use his facility for a wedding or other family function they are welcome to use it free of charge. 

This is a picture of my dinner that evening after the event. In Indonesia it is common to leave the foot on the chicken leg when you cook it.