Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Joshua Leo.
Voice 2
And I'm Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Jamilla moved toward the finish line. The race was almost done! It was December 4, 2008. Jamilla was 16 years old. She competed against many other girls. With a smile on her face, she raced towards the finish line. And Jamilla won!
But this was not a usual race. And Jamilla is not a usual sports player. Jamilla's legs do not work correctly. She won the race using a special machine, a Mobility Cycle. Today's Spotlight is on a group called Mobility without Barriers. They are helping young people with disabilities to move through the world more easily.
Voice 2
On December 4, 2008, over 30,000 people gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This was Africa's largest ten kilometre road race - "the Great Ethiopian Run". This event celebrates the great running history of Ethiopia. The race is supported by the car company Toyota. But it is also supported by the aid group UNICEF. During the event, UNICEF raised money for fighting HIV and AIDS in Ethiopia. This money will go to children whose parents have died of AIDS. But UNICEF did not just support the big event! They also supported smaller events for children. Through these races, UNICEF hopes to encourage running as a good activity for children.
Voice 1
The final race of the event was held with the help of The Dream Campaign and Mobility without Barriers. This race was a mobility cycle race for children living with disabilities. The race was organized by Haile Gebreselassie. He is a famous Ethiopian runner. He even competed in the Olympics. Mr. Gebreselassie met each young person competing in the race. The racers got ready. Their mobility cycles were in a line.
But what exactly is a mobility cycle?
Voice 2
A mobility cycle is a kind of wheelchair for disabled children. It combines a bicycle and a chair. It has three wheels: two large wheels and one small one. The two large wheels sit on either side of the chair. The small wheel is behind the chair. The two large wheels are moved with hand cranks. The person sitting on the cycle turns these cranks with his hands, which moves the mobility cycle.
Voice 1
The mobility cycle is for people who cannot use their legs. The hand cranks let a person to move with the power of their arms. And the large wheels let a person move over any kind of ground.
Voice 2
The story of the mobility cycle started in 1992. The Mobility without Barriers group started in rural India. They wanted to help solve the problems facing disabled children around the world.
Voice 1
Thousands of children in the world are unable to walk from their home to school. This problem keeps many children from a positive future. Other groups have provided children with wheelchairs. But these wheelchairs have a problem. Common wheelchairs could not easily climb hills. They could not travel over rocky ground well. Sometimes these wheelchairs would fall over. And often, children did not have enough strength to push themselves where they needed to go.
Voice 2
Mobility without Barriers worked with designers to develop a machine that would work better for disabled children. They created new ways to turn, and new ways to power the wheels. They created the mobility cycle.
Voice 1
Mobility without Barriers hopes to improve children's lives in four ways. The first way is by giving them a way in to schools and other social services. The mobility cycle lets children go to school regularly. The group believes that a child's future starts with school: basic human rights, the ability to read, and the ability to get a job.
Voice 2
The second way the mobility cycle improves children's lives is by encouraging them emotionally. The mobility cycle helps disabled children move around and travel as easily as any other child. This improves a child's opinion of himself. It helps a child to believe in his hopes and dreams.
Voice 1
The third way children's lives are improved is by helping them socially. The mobility cycle can help disabled children play with other children. The children can be included in games and visit their friends' homes. These friendships can make positive changes in a child's life.
Voice 2
And finally the mobility cycle can help a disabled child and his family economically. In many places, children help in the family business. Usually, disabled children cannot help in this way. But with the mobility cycle, disabled children can help make money for their families.
Voice 1
In India, Mobility without Barriers is changing children's lives. In addition to giving disabled children mobility cycles, the group is helping in other ways. The group has given training in particular skills. These skills will help the children get jobs in the future. Children who are not in school receive help to return to school.
Voice 2
The group has also taught local people in India how to build mobility cycles for children in the area. And children who use the cycles have helped to improve the design for new versions of the cycles.
Voice 1
Mobility without Barriers is also working with children in Ethiopia. Estimates show that around 5,000,000 children and adults in Ethiopia are disabled. But only 500 wheelchairs are produced each year. Mobility without Barriers is trying to change this. Today, 600 young people already use Mobility Cycles. The group has promised that over the next two years, 4,000 more cycles will be given to disabled children.
Voice 2
The group has also developed a special vehicle to help disabled children get to school. It is a cart, pulled by a horse. The children can sit safely in the cart and travel to school. It does not cost much money, and it can carry as many as 18 children.
Voice 1
The lives of many children in Ethiopia and India have been improved by the work of Mobility without Barriers. One of these children is Jamilla, the winner of the mobility cycle race. Her disability has not stopped her from doing the things she wants. And with the help of Mobility without Barriers, even more disabled children will be able to reach their goals.
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