THE Fiji Spinal Injury Association together with ACATA Trust Fiji gave a wheelchair to 76-year-old Viniana Salawaqa of Naikabula settlement in Lautoka who has been bedridden for the last eight months.
Working under the Vodafone World of Difference program, the two organisations were first informed of Ms Salawaqa's story by The Fiji Times office in Lautoka through her son-in-law Netani Vatuciri.
Mr Vatuciri's request was then relayed to the World of Difference team.
The team were then told Ms Salawaqa had injured the left side of lower body in a fall. She had been living in Lovu but had to move to her daughter's home when her own house was damaged during the March flood.
In a release, ACATA Trust executive director Rosan Lal said the equipment was part of the consignment of mobility devices sent over from Physio Net UK.
Mr Lal said the unique partnership between NGOs and the media had resulted in a large number of physically-challenged people in Fiji receiving mobility devices, who otherwise may have been left out because of inaccessibility of information.
Joshko Wakaniyasi of Fiji Spinal Injury Association said networking enhanced the availability of resources.
"Persons with spinal injury and physical impairment are living in a barrier free society, playing a participatory role in rural, urban and national development," said Mr Wakaniyasi.