Wheelchair Boosts Saimoni’s Resilience

For 23-year-old Saimoni Gedion Bebenisara of Nalele Village, Nadroga, receiving a wheelchair is helping him live more independently while improving his safety and resilience during emergencies.

Saimoni’s life changed at age 18 after a fall from a tree left him with a physical disability. For the next six years, he lived without an appropriate mobility aid, often crawling around his home to access basic facilities such as the bathroom and toilet.

Without a wheelchair, Saimoni relied heavily on his mother for daily movement. While this created challenges in everyday life, it also raised a critical question during emergencies: how could he quickly reach safety during a cyclone, flood, or evacuation?

“As a mother, I wanted to provide him with a wheelchair, but with the little money we have, we always had to prioritise our basic needs,” his mother shared. “Seeing him having to crawl around the house has been very difficult for me.”

As a single parent with limited income, she was unable to afford a wheelchair despite years of trying to support her son’s needs.

Recognising the importance of mobility for both daily living and disaster preparedness, the Fiji Disabled Peoples Federation (FDPF) visited Saimoni’s home on 8 September 2026 to assess his needs. Through support provided under Women’s Fund Fiji’s Resilience Grant supported by UAE, Saimoni was provided with a wheelchair.

The wheelchair has transformed his daily life, allowing him to move around his home with greater ease, dignity, and independence. More importantly, it has strengthened his ability to respond safely during emergencies.

For persons with disabilities, disasters often magnify existing barriers. Limited mobility can make evacuations, accessing assistance, and reaching safer locations significantly more difficult. Having an appropriate assistive device can mean the difference between remaining at risk and being able to act quickly when every moment counts.

The wheelchair also eases the physical demands placed on Saimoni’s mother, who previously carried much of the responsibility for assisting his movement.

Saimoni’s story highlights a vital but often overlooked aspect of disaster preparedness: persons with disabilities need access to appropriate assistive devices before disasters occur, not after.

Building disability-inclusive resilience starts at the household and community level. It means identifying barriers, understanding individual needs, and ensuring people with disabilities have the support and resources necessary to stay safe during emergencies.

Through the Resilience Grant, FDPF is helping strengthen preparedness by reaching persons with disabilities in their communities and providing practical support that enhances mobility, safety, and resilience.

For Saimoni, the wheelchair represents freedom, greater independence, and the confidence that he can move more safely when emergencies arise.

About Women’s Fund Fiji: Women’s Fund Fiji supports women, girls, persons with disabilities, and other marginalised groups, particularly those living in rural and remote communities. Through its grant programmes, the Fund invests in initiatives that strengthen inclusion, resilience, leadership, and community wellbeing across Fiji.