By Oumie Bojang
Make3D Company in collocation with UNDP Accelerator Lab and the Glove Project on Thursday organised a two-day design challenge to create prosthetic leg covers for child amputees in The Gambia.
The project aims to have a functional, visually appealing design of prosthetics that contribute to inclusion of amputees in communities.
Aliou Nyan, Ndey Fatou Ceesay, Zina Zoker, Momodou Lamin Sima, Rene Moses Ceesay, Ndey Marie Kujabie, Rose Mendy, and Haddy Gaye competed for the prize.
Speaking at the event, Silvestr Tkac co-founder of Make3D Company, said the project came about when they wanted to make a prosthetic leg for a 2-year-old double amputee girl but couldn’t find any in the country.
Make3D Company posted it on social and it attracted the attention of many, including Glove Project and UNDP.
Tkac added that the first prosthetic they made for the girl enabled her to run around and play with the ball.
That was when, he said, they started developing more prosthetics
“After which, we would work with the winner to create more prosthetic legs for child amputees in the country,” he said.
Aissata De, the resident representative of the UNDP said she is happy that the UNDP’s Accelerator Lab is looking at getting closer to the population to making sure that there is interconnectivity within The Gambia and abroad.
“I want to remind the society that these are things that we need to pay attention to,” she said.
She thanked the partners and applauded the participants for taking part in the initiative.
After thorough inspection by the judges, Aliou Nyan was awarded winner of the challenge and will receive D25,000 to make 5 prosthetic legs.
