Disability. She was born with only one arm and no lower limbs. But last week, Amina stood upright and took her first few steps.
Although Amina has managed to get around by crawling on her leg stumps, it has been difficult for her mother, Asha. "My husband fled after seeing Amina for the first time. He couldn't deal with it," she explains.
Ghanaian prosthetist Koho Moses Kofi is on a six-month internship at the hospital. Here he is checking the alignment of the prosthesis to ensure
And it is thanks to prosthetics. Amina's mother travelled with her to a special disability hospital in Dar es Salaam, to have them fitted.
Kofi puts on the insert liner so the new prosthesis is comfortable. About 2,500 appliances are made at the hospital each year. Because needy patients get subsidised treatment, Asha only paid $15 for Amina's new legs.
on the prosthesis. This was the moment when Amina first stood up. Some 90% of the hospital's rehabilitation patients are children.
The little girl takes a rest before her daily session of gait training. Amina is a happy child. "She always lifts my mood," says her mother.
Asha gazes at her daughter standing upright: "I thank God for this. I never thought it would be possible to see Amina walk properly like other children."
Amina still has many weeks of training ahead of her to learn how to walk by herself. With only one arm, maintaining balance is especially hard. But once she has mastered walking, she will get a prosthetic arm too.
Amina's mother is now looking forward to the day when her daughter can go to school. [Pictures by Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania/Dieter Telemans]
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