Motivation Romania Foundation, in partnership with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, launched today the Mobility Caravan – a mobile wheelchair workshop that will provide mobility equipment and services for people with mobility disabilities, directly in the community, especially in remote or underserved areas. The vehicle was donated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Equipped with wheelchairs and other assistive devices, the Caravan will travel to small towns and villages in Romania to deliver fast and tailored interventions, such as: providing mobility equipment, training for their use, proper wheelchair handling sessions, pressure mapping using BodiTrak technology (to prevent pressure sores), and more – depending on the participants’ needs.
The goals of the multidisciplinary team delivering the services are: freedom of movement, health protection, and support for active community participation for people with disabilities. Beneficiaries will be identified with the help of Motivation’s regional teams.
First Stop: Motivation Camp in Bragadiru
The pilot event took place today at the Motivation Camp in Bragadiru, bringing together 10 children and adults with mobility disabilities, along with their caregivers. Seven of them received customized mobility equipment donated with the support of the Humanitarian Services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other partners of the wheelchair program. The rest of the participants took part in pressure mapping workshops using the BodiTrak system, unique in Romania, to support pressure sore prevention.
Paul and Kristi Willard, representatives of the Church’s Humanitarian Services in Romania joined the event and they reiterated the organization’s commitment to improving the lives of people with disabilities.
Motivation Romania Foundation was represented by Corina Cociorvă, General Director, by Cristian Ispas – founding member, together with Costin Ursache, a wheelchair-using physician, member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors and one of the first Motivation instructors, as well as by colleagues from the wheelchair services and independent living teams.
All participants had the opportunity to view images from the “Abilities Matter” photo exhibition – featuring people with disabilities in active roles, sending a clear message: “Every person can live an active life and pursue their dreams, in an accessible environment and with support services tailored to their needs.”
In the coming period, the Mobility Caravan will travel to other regions across Romania, offering freedom of movement and hope for an active life in a wheelchair.
The partnership between Motivation Romania Foundation and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began in 2008. Since then, we have donated over 8,500 wheelchairs together, offering freedom of movement to just as many people. Throughout the collaboration, Motivation also received support for equipping and arranging training spaces in Bragadiru and Văratec camps, as well as for acquiring didactic manikins for catheterization – essential in independent living training and prevention of medical complications.
We are grateful to our partners from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for their continued support and trust in our mission to restore mobility and dignity to people with disabilities in Romania.
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For individuals in need of a wheelchair, Motivation provides the Wheelchair User Hotline: 0800 030 762. This toll-free number is available Monday to Thursday, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and Friday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
Through the Wheelchair Fund, Motivation Romania Foundation donates over 1,000 high-quality wheelchairs every year — new or refurbished — to children and adults with mobility disabilities. We need more friends to help continue these programs — through monthly donations or sponsorships. More information about how to support our mission is available here.