Members of the Mitchell’s Plain branch at a meeting in the Town Centre.
By Avril Fillies
After a motorcycle accident and receiving the news that Sulyman Stellenboom from Tafelsig will never walk again, he is busy helping other residents with disabilities to live life to the fullest.
“In 2012, I broke my pelvis and have a plate and screws in my body. I was devastated when the doctors told me I won’t walk again and was on the verge of taking my own life. While in the hospital I realised that I can move my big toe and after my regular physio sessions I did my own. I was caught by the nursing staff doing this and they put me in a cot to prevent me from hurting myself further,” he says.
Four months later Stellenboom was discharged from the hospital and slowly but surely he got on his “feet” again.
Now he is helping other people with disabilities in Tafelsig but is hoping to expand his service to the rest of the Western Cape.
The motorcycle accident left him disabled for life. “Even though my disability is not visible, I have a plate and six screws through my spine as I live with a broken pelvis, broken collarbone and a broken ankle. For this reason, any person with a disability holds a special place in my heart. I made it my duty to create comfortable lifestyles for differently abled people of any age.
“Once a year we join the Outeniqua Chair Challenge in George in February which is an international race for people with disabilities. We also request support for this event as we are about 38 people with disabilities plus their carers. We leave the Friday morning and return the Sunday afternoon. We are also taking part in the Things on Wheels fun walk in Sea Point for people with disabilities on a yearly basis,” he says.
He recently launched the Mitchell’s Plain Disabled People of South Africa branch as disabled members of the community in the area are always uninformed of any information regarding projects that empowers them.
“I have also noticed that most of them once worked at big companies but due to their disability, they got fired and they are replaced with an abled body. This is unacceptable and total discrimination.
We are aiming to build ramps for all our members to make their dwellings more accessible. Many government officials promised that they will build these ramps, but never executed what they have promised.
“I am also going to print bumper stickers reading, “I support people with disabilities” and ask members to sell it for R20, R10 they keep and R10 goes to our branch,” he says.
Stellenboom plans many other projects for 2023 as he believes your disabilities are an ability to make your dreams come true.
“We would appreciate any assistance with this cause as we don’t hold the future and never know when we can land up only able to do the minimum for ourselves. It is not always easy to create these projects without resources,” Stellenboom says.
- Contact Stellenboom on 078 333 3072 for details..
Source: News24
