Colman Ndetembea, co-founder of Kyaro Assistive Tech and innovator of the Kyaro Multipurpose wheelchair.

For families in developing countries, having a child with a disability such as cerebral palsy presents multiple challenges, from access to needed services and equipment to transportation to and from school. Imported wheelchairs and other mobility equipment are expensive to acquire and maintain, and families often don’t have the space needed to use and store them.

The Kyaro Multipurpose wheelchair, designed to help children with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, is helping bring locally manufactured, affordable assistance to developing countries. Designed, manufactured and sold in Tanzania, the wheelchair can be configured into a standing frame, bench/bed, and be adjusted in size to grow with its user. The rugged, all terrain design and construction make it sturdy enough for family members to wheel children to and from school – even over unpaved roads.

By attending a Creative Capacity Building workshop at Twende, Coleman was connected with people in the community who could help him test and improve his prototypes. By leveraging the Twende workshops, Coleman was able to continue improving on his innovation until he was able to build a workshop of his own.

Currently, Kyaro is working with families, schools and hospitals in the Arusha and Kilimanjaro areas, meeting with prospective clients, assessing the children, taking measurements, and evaluating families lifestyles to build chairs customized to each child’s needs. In addition to providing families with affordable, sustainable technology, Kyaro also creates work and provides training to local technicians and craftsmen, resulting in engineering devoted to the highest standard of social responsibility.