Prosthetics offer new life to victims of violence

DAVAO CITY—Christian Laping muttered a barely audible “thank you” as he put on a pair of artificial limbs that could make him walk normally again.

Laping, who lost his legs during a massacre in Basilan about a year ago, is shy, not being used to standing in front of a crowd that gathered at the office of Davao Jubilee Foundation (DJF) here to witness the start of a new life for the boy unfold.

Amelyn Carpe, 31, a mother of two, lost one of her limbs in an attack by New People’s Army rebels in New Corella, Davao del Norte, about 30 years ago.

She, too, was at the DJF office to try on a new limb. During those 30 years, Carpe didn’t know if it was still possible for her to walk normally again. Her family is so poor that buying artificial legs could not possibly be priority over food.

Caught in crossfire

Laping and Carpe were only among several amputees, many of them victims of violence, who got artificial limbs from DJF, which has been manufacturing these out of a small facility in this city.

The foundation gives out the prosthetics for free, especially to the poorest of the poor who got caught in the crossfire.

Councilor Bernardo Al-Ag, a doctor and chair of the DJF’s board, said the foundation wanted to help more people and this was now possible with the opening of a new factory for artificial limbs here.

The Physical Rehabilitation Center in Barangay Catalunan Grande, assisted by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), will start producing artificial legs and braces using polypropylene, a material that is easy to process, said the councilor.

Al-ag said DJF became the first facility in Mindanao to use the latest technology using imported materials supplied by the ICRC.

ICRC sent over orthopedic technologists to Cambodia for training. ICRC also funded new workshops, equipment and the improvement of the rehabilitation building.