Qatar Charity (QC), in cooperation with the Municipality of Shahinbey in Gaziantep, a city in Turkey, distributed 136 wheelchairs to Turks and Syrian refugees with special needs, while a good number of other wheelchairs are expected to be delivered during the next few days.

The distribution of the wheelchairs came as part of the project that consists of 175 wheelchairs, in addition to 25 electric wheelchairs that will help the beneficiaries move freely for a distance of more than 30 kilometers on a single charge. The project was carried out based on needs assessed by the Municipality of Shahinbey.

Mr. Mehmet Tahmazoğlu, mayor of the Shahinbey Municipality, thanked the people in Qatar and Qatar Charity for continuously supporting the Turks and the Syrian refugees in Gaziantep. “The benefactors of Qatar and Qatar Charity have been known for their constant initiative and works in every field of charitable activities carried out by the Shahinbey Municipality,” said the mayor, adding that the distributed wheelchairs will contribute to greatly lessening the suffering of those with special needs and help them move freely.

Mr. Ali Nasr Al-Badawi, programs manager at Qatar Charity’s Turkey office thanked the Shahinbey Municipality, represented by its mayor and its staff for their continuous cooperation in facilitating the charity work and reaching the beneficiaries. He also noted that Qatar Charity, since the opening of its office in Turkey, has been supporting the most vulnerable, including orphans, people with special needs, and underprivileged families, across the country.

The beneficiaries expressed their great happiness with receiving the wheelchairs.

“I used to sit in front of my house, looking at the passers-by, wondering if I will be able to move freely as people do,” said Mr. Enger, who received an electric wheelchair.  “One day, Mr. Mehmet Tahmazoğlu, mayor of the Shahinbey Municipality, visited us in the neighborhood, and at the end of my meeting with him, he promised me an electric wheelchair, which I got, thanks to the contributions of the donors from Qatar and the efforts of the municipality,” added Enger. “I considered this day the happiest one in my life, as if I was given a new life.”

“This electric wheelchair was the dream of my life, and now I am very happy that this dream has come true,” a beneficiary woman said.

It is worth mentioning that Qatar Charity has previously implemented many similar projects, in cooperation with other Turkish municipalities, as well as in Syrian refugee camps, where hundreds of wheelchairs were distributed to the refugees. Besides, the distribution of the wheelchairs took place in the municipality of Şanlıurfa, intending to effectively reintegrate vulnerable sections into society.