LEG / Leg Prosthesis Race
SwissLimbs
Switzerland
About the Team
Swiss Limbs is a non-profit organization from Switzerland, which promotes prostheses in developing countries. The NGO’s guiding principle: "We believe mobility is a fundamental right of every human being, everyone all over the world should be able to move around."
The projects of Swiss Limbs focus primarily on rehabilitation and orthoprosthetic services for people with disabilities in conflict countries in the Middle East or Africa. "We develop low-cost prostheses and distribute them to the local population. Our goal is to use local resources and materials and to effectively help the disabled with a prosthesis that makes their everyday life easier, but also fits the country and its conditions," says team manager Filippo Kenji Nishino. "It’s very important in our project that we share our knowledge with the local people, work with them and develop the projects further. To do this, we are holding courses and workshops and are currently in the process of building a hospital in Tanzania,” Filippo continues. CYBATHLON will help making Swiss Limbs’ projects better-known, which will hopefully allow them to reach more people.
SwissLimbs
About the Pilot
"I will travel to Switzerland in Europe for the first time in my life, take part in an international competition and even represent my country," enthuses Khalfan Nasor Machimkenda, who can’t wait for the event to start. He was 13 years old when he returned home from his grandmother's in the dark and stepped on a snake that bit him in his left leg. In the evening there was no transport to the hospital, the next day the leg had to be amputated right away. "Going home after that was dramatic. My family looked at me as if I was responsible for what had happened to me. I was now completely dependent on them and became a burden," recalls the Tanzanian, who is now almost forty years old. "I failed at school and dropped out completely, struggled to find a job, started a bakery and had to close it later. Then came the turning point. "After more than 20 years on crutches, I received a prosthesis from Swiss Limbs. My quality of life increased significantly. I found a job I can take care of my family and most importantly: I can walk again!"