This is Blessing.  She was only 5 months old when she was brought to the Orthopaedic Training Centre (OTC) in Ghana.  Born with one arm, only four fingers on her right hand and very short limbs Blessing’s capabilities were severely limited.  However, thanks to the Little Legs Project, she was given two prosthetic legs and is able to look forward to a fulfilling future.  

Now 7 years old, she attends kindergarten at the OTC and, whilst there are difficult days when she has sores due to her new legs or she finds walking difficult, she is generally very sunny and happy. Certainly, she is a very determined little girl and the teachers are focused on helping her to achieve the future she aspires to.

Given that a child’s leg needs to be replaced approximately every 6 months, the dual situation of outgrown and redundant children’s legs in the UK and the pressing need for them in Africa should be one of self fulfilling supply and demand.  The aim of Little Legs is to harness children’s unwanted prosthetic legs and ship them to Africa so that the thousands of children there with missing limbs can benefit in the way that Blessing has.

Without the kindness of western amputees and their parents, Blessing and her friends at OTC would be among the thousands of African children with little or no prospect of a fulfilling life.

Find out how to donate children’s prosthetic legs here