When hope rolls in: Wheels for the World in Jinja, Uganda

When hope rolls in: Wheels for the World in Jinja, Uganda

An elderly Ugandan lady, smiling, sat in a wheelchair, by a mud hut.

In September 2025, our Wheels for the World team travelled to Jinja, Uganda, bringing mobility, dignity, and the love of Christ to over 250 individuals. Each day was filled with unforgettable moments of transformation and hope.

Faith Mendy, Though the Roof's International Missions Manager, shares how God brought 'hope on wheels' to disabled people in Uganda. Working with local charity partner, Petra Foundation Christ Ministries, many lives were transformed by gifting wheelchairs and Bibles.

Harriet's journey from surrender to renewal

In a modest church in Jinja, Uganda, a woman named Harriet sat quietly among the congregation. At 70 years old, she had lived with the effects of polio since childhood. Her mobility was limited, and the years had been hard. Though surrounded by children and grandchildren, Harriet had recently fallen ill and felt her strength fading. She believed her time had come.

From Harriet’s viewpoint, sat in her new wheelchair...
I came to church that Sunday with a quiet heart. At seventy, after living with polio since childhood and falling ill again, I felt my strength fading. Surrounded by family, I wasn’t afraid—I was simply ready. I wanted to dedicate my life to Christ, to prepare for what I believed was the end.

When the pastor mentioned a wheelchair distribution, I gently declined. What use is a wheelchair now? I thought. I’m ready to go.
But the following week, something changed. I met the Wheels for the World team—strangers who spoke with such warmth and welcoming, it stirred something inside me. Why do they care so much? I wondered. Their kindness made me reconsider.

That last day of the distribution I thought to myself that morning. Get yourself together and go, what do you have to lose. I went with a bit of dread, I received a wheelchair, a Bible, and a prayer. As I sat in that chair, I thought to myself, maybe I’m not done yet.

Days later, they visited me at home. I sang my heart out and danced, sitting on the wheelchair to honour them for how they had given me hope. I thanked them in my language, my heart was full and I will carry them in my heart forever: “God has given me a new lease on life.”

Please pray: for Harriet, and all those who received mobility and the Gospel on the 2025 Jinja Wheels for the World mission. 

Carol Dyer, who was our UK team leader in Jinja, shares stories of other lives transformed by the gift of hope...

Favour’s Story: A Little Girl with Big Courage

On Day 2, we met five-year-old Favour, who lives with Spina Bifida. Her quiet strength moved everyone. With determination, she climbed into her new wheelchair—step by step, foot by foot—until she sat upright, beaming with pride. The crowd erupted in applause.

The next day, Favour joined Sunday school for the first time, clapping and singing joyfully. “Her courage was contagious.” Her story reminds us that every child deserves a place in the house of God.

Zeresi’s Journey: From Disappointment to Independence

Three years ago, Zeresi, then 14, was denied a wheelchair and given crutches instead. Leonard, a disabled volunteer, explained that using her legs would strengthen them. She returned this year transformed—stronger, mobile, and attending school. “Thanks to Leonard’s wise words, Zeresi is now a happy and much more mobile young lady.”

Christine’s Testimony: Faith in the Face of Trauma

Christine, a schoolteacher, was brutally attacked and left disabled. Despite years of pain, she radiates faith. We adapted a wheelchair for her, and prayed together. “Christine knows and loves God and she radiates Jesus.”

Why Support Matters

  • “All went home in a wheelchair or crutches—with God’s word in their hands.”
  • “It is in His strength that we serve.”
  • “Receiving a wheelchair will help them work and be part of their community.”
  • “Her presence showed us how vital it is to create spaces that welcome those with disabilities.”

Your donations and time can change lives. Will you join us?

Your prayers and support are vital

Please do pray for the work, and if you can, consider donating by visiting our Through the Roof Just Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/charity/ttr . Or support us another way, by giving your time. Thank you!
Ugandan lady in yellow dress holding Gospel and some crutches.
Ugandan man with mis-shaped legs tucked under him, sitting on the ground, smiling.
Ugandan church stage with a choir wearing black and white. and a man in a suit with a microphone.
A little Ugandan girl sat in a wheelchair holding a Bible.
A Ugandan man with a beard, sat in a wheelchair, doing a 'thumbs up' sign.
A Ugandan boy, smiling, sat in a wheelchair, holding a Bible
A Ugandan boy with mis-shaped limbs, smiling, sat in a wheelchair, holding a Bible
An elderly Ugandan lady, smiling, sat in a wheelchair, by a mud hut.
An elderly Ugandan lady, smiling, sat on the floor in a mud hut with a female UK volunteer.
Two young UK volunteers on a boat trip: a man in a red life jacket and a woman in a blue life jacket.
A young Ugandan lady in a purple dress, smiling, sat in a chair, holding crutches.
A little Ugandan girl sat in a wheelchair with hands together in prayer, with other children praying behind her.
A young Ugandan girl sat in a chair with hands together and eyes closed in prayer
Two disabled Ugandan people, a man and a woman, sat in wheelchairs in a concrete building.
A disabled Ugandan woman in a yellow dress, sat in a wheelchair, with her leg supported out in front of her.
A young Ugandan boy playing on a coloured mat, next to a female UK volunteer.
A young Ugandan man, sat smiling in a wheelchair, holding a Bible.
A young Ugandan boy, smiling, holding a walking frame.
A young Ugandan girl in a wheelchair, laughing at a parrot puppet, held by a male UK volunteer.
A group photo of about 10 UK volunteers at an airport, with luggage and trolleys.