Morocco Factory & Montana Youth

MOROCCO ROC CHAIR FACTORY

ROC just received the final prototype of the Moroccan steel version of the ROC Chair from our partners in Casablanca, Morocco at AMH (Amicale Moraccine Des Handicapes). This day has been the culmination of three year of planning, grant writing, and research and development. ROC’s first visit to the Centre Noor was back in April of 2008. Within minutes it was agreed by all parties, that developing a local ROC Chair manufacturing operation was required to help mobilize disabled children not just in Casablanca, but throughout Western Africa. ROC believes in supporting American businesses, but serving the worldwide need for mobility products is only possible by empowering nationals to provide for their own needs- “Teach a man to fish!” Thanks to World Learning / USAID, AMH, and the Morocco Foundation for helping to make this dream become a reality!

This mission has certainly been an uphill battle. It took over a year of negotiations, strategy development, and grant writing to even get started. The work behind the stage was very challenging, but the real work began when we started to try to find local materials that would meet our quality control requirements. This created several new challenges and took creative problem solving to alter the design of the ROC Chair based on local capabilities and availability of materials while retaining all the features and custom positioning for the wheelchair recipient. One example was the realization that aluminum tube for the frame is far too expensive in Morocco so we had to experiment with using steel tube. Our concern was adding significant weight which would make moving and transporting the ROC Chair more difficult for the children and their families. The benefit of using steel tube was that we could reduce the number of pieces and supports by incorporating welding into the operation. After a great deal of testing and design modification, we found that the weight of the steel ROC Chair was nearly the same as our aluminum model!
Much of the credit for reaching this point should be directed to our partners in Moroccan. AMH’s President, Mohamed Khadiri, gathered together a strong team of dedicated specialists for this mission. AMH’s Chief Manufacturing Manager, Fouad Mehboub has worked tirelessly under a restrictive budget and tight timeline. We look forward to returning to Morocco soon to see the ROC Chair in full production at the Centre Noor and help with the first distribution of “Made in Morocco” ROC Chairs.

YEWTHS ROC PROGRAM- INSPIRING LOCAL YOUTH

ROC’s youth programs continue to expand throughout Montana. This past Saturday we performed a successful test of our new mobile ROC Chair assembly operation with nine students from Manhattan Christian Reformed Church. Murdoch’s Ranch and Home Supply gave ROC a great deal on a new fourteen foot enclosed trailer capable of transporting our four mobile workstations to schools, service organizations, and churches. Last Friday ROC received a very kind donation of a GMC Yukon from Bozeman’s own Double O Inc. Soon both the Yukon and trailer will have a custom graphic wraps thanks to Insty Prints and local businesses. Another great way to show the businesses that support ROC, while spreading awareness for ROC’s mission and those we serve.

The mobile unit is capable of transporting five ROC Chairs in component form within the four workstations. Once wheeled out the workstations allow for volunteers to learn about the ROC Chair and how each and every component is designed to support and empower the child who will receive this precious gift. The volunteers, mostly children and teenagers, are able to greatly impact the life of a child while learning about how to design and manufacture products that help others. It is important to mention that this program is to help spread awareness and inspire people. This method of assembling ROC Chairs is more costly than other alternatives, but we believe that the added cost is justified to benefit everyone involved. We rely upon the generous donations of all of you to make this program possible. If you or your family would like to come and assemble a ROC Chair together please notify ROC Wheels staff. The cost is $350 and it will take about two to three hours to assemble a complete ROC Chair and prepare it for delivery to a child in a less resourced countries. For those feeling especially adventurous you can join ROC on the distribution and help custom fit the ROC Chair that you assembled to the special needs of a disabled child. What a truly wonderful way to bring the family together while helping someone in need.

Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids Update: Brad Blauser

Rarely does it ever occur in a person’s life that they are presented with an opportunity to come to the rescue of a large population of people in need.

Never would I have guessed that upon my arrival in Iraq in November 2004, a movement would be set in motion soon thereafter to help improve (and in some cases save) the lives of hundreds of children with walking disabilities through the Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids project.

I’m grateful for all those who have partnered with me over the last five years to help bring adjustable pediatric wheelchairs to a country full of families who had no access to them. I’m grateful to those who created and manufactured the pediatric wheelchairs, to those who donated and sponsored them, to those who brought them to Iraq free of charge, to those who risked their lives to organize and carry out missions so children in many parts of Iraq could receive them. In my biased opinion, this is one of the best stories of suffering and tragedy turned to relief and joy coming out of Iraq over the past five years. So many children from various backgrounds and faiths have received the pediatric wheelchairs from Reach Out and Care Wheels. Shiites, Sunnis, Kurdish, Christian, Yazidis , Assyrians, Chaldeans, Armenian Orthodox – all children are precious in God’s sight. And in my view, children with special needs living in war zones are truly the ‘least of these’ who are the most desperate in need of assistance. They are the most vulnerable segment of Iraqi society in need of help. Children with disabilities grow up watching brothers, sisters and friends learn how to ride tricycles, skateboards and bicycles, all the while they have watched despondently, grounded because of their disabilities. It’s like they’ve been left out as they’ve been condemned to a cruel fate of life alone on the ground, simply because their legs won’t work. They don’t get to participate in normal childhood activities; typically they’re ostracized from peer groups by default due to their disabilities. Imagine growing up, not learning the rules of football because you’ve never had the opportunity to play the game with the other kids. Imagine growing up not receiving an education, because your parents can’t be there every day to carry you around the school grounds. Many times these children are mentally aware and very bright, but aren’t afforded the opportunity to develop physically and socially because of their limited mobility.

As sad as their situation appears, I often see faces of children glow with wide smiles and big eyes as they enter the wheelchair distribution area and see their first set of wheels waiting for them. One boy told me in English as he sat in his wheelchair for the first time that it was his first bicycle. He was smiling from ear to ear – there was no way I could take away his joy at that moment. He may never ride a bike with two wheels, but a “bike” with four wheels is a blessing beyond his wildest dreams!

New Building, New Opportunities: Local Youth are Making a Global Impact

“It’s awesome to know that what I’m doing is going to help kids with disabilities in Jamaica,” said 11 year old Kaylene Volkman.

Kaylene has dedicated the majority of her summer vacation to volunteering in our ROC Wheels Shop. She has not only prepared doll kits to help raise money and awareness for the children affected by disabilities, but also she has worked with her older brother Tyler Volkman, 15, to help assemble the ROC Wheelchairs that will be custom fit for children and adults living in Jamaica on our 2011 YEWTHS ROC Spring Break Expedition.

The process of building a wheelchair is life-changing for both the youth assembling the wheelchair, and the youth receiving the wheelchair.

“Our YEWTHS ROC Program emphasizes to our kids that they are not just our leaders of the future, but they can be leaders and world changers right now. After kids have the hands-on experience of assembling a wheelchair and they watch our video of kids receiving the gift of mobility in developing nations like Tanzania or Kenya, a lot of them leave our building with a new sense of confidence. I’m glad that we have a local facility where kids can come and know that their voice matters,” said RaShelle Soper, Associate Director of YEWTHS ROC.

Here at ROC Wheels, we want to thank you for your prayers and financial contributions. We ask that you would continue to pray for us and consider helping us to purchase our ROC Wheels building. During a feasibility study, we identified the cost to purchase and renovate our building at $400,000. We are praying for God’s wisdom as we strategically plan our Capital Campaign. Our hope is to raise $200,000 by March of this coming year.

Jamaica Mon'!

Here at ROC Wheels, we’re getting geared up for the YEWTHS (Youth Empowered With The Helper Spirit) ROC Jamaica Spring Break Expedition 2011. During March 11-20th 2011, we will be taking a team of 24 students, adults and physical therapists to Montego Bay, Jamaica with the goal of improving the lives of children and adults with disabilities and sharing God’s love with the people of Jamaica. We will be distributing ROC Wheelchairs and other mobility devices that have been made here locally in Bozeman by local students and other volunteers. Lately, Travis Volkman, ROC’s School Wheelchair Manufacturing Consultant, has been busy assembling ROC Chairs at our new Headquarters with the help of volunteers. After the wheelchairs are shipped to Jamaica, we will coordinate with our partners in Jamaica to custom fit 100 highly specialized wheelchairs to their new owner’s needs. ROC Wheels’ YEWTHS ROC Program Director Lee Hanson is still pulling together the details of the Jamaica Spring Break Expedition. We plan on teaming up with the Montego Bay Rotary Club to serve people affected by disabilities in Montego Bay. And of course, we are also in the process of planning fun activities for the ROC Team to participate in during their stay in Jamaica. Last time the ROC Team made a trip to Jamaica in 2009, they spent time at two different orphanages and they also enjoyed time on the beaches, snorkeling and sailing.

“The distribution to Jamaica last year was filled with God’s love! I was amazed as we prayed for people and witnessed the new joy found in each person that received a wheelchair,” Holly Floyd, ROC Wheels Associate Director.

If you are interested in possibly joining our ROC Team in Jamaica you can e-mail me at: rashelle@rocwheels.org. You can also reach me at our ROC Wheels office here in Bozeman, MT at: 406.556.8065. If you would like more details on how you can be a part of improving the life of a child affected by disabilities, please do not hesitate to call us or you can visit our website at: http://www.rocwheels.org/. For a one-time donation of $350, you will have the opportunity to be a contributor to our Adopt-a-Chair Fund. I just want to take the time to say thank you to all of you around the world that have prayed for ROC Wheels and given your time and your financial resources to make an eternal impact on the lives of the people that we serve. May God bless you abundantly!

In Love,
RaShelle Soper
Associate Director of YEWTHS ROC Program

ROC's New Home

On November 1st of last year, ROC Wheels was blessed with the opportunity to move to a new location. The new space combines the offices with a volunteer workshop for bringing people of all ages together to build ROC Wheelchairs and learn ways to help others. Currently, we are retrofitting the workspaces to allow a free and open space for volunteers, product testing, research and development, and youth mentorship. The Board of Directors and Staff are developing a capital campaign to purchase the building and perform renovations that will allow us to expand our programs and services both locally and abroad. Please pray for us as we continue to trust God for every provision.



God Bless You,

Holly Floyd
Associate Director of ROC Wheels

The Power of Love

Dear Friends,

“Let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. And… Love never fails!” (1 John 4:7; 1 Cor. 13:8)

It’s all about the power of Love working in and through our lives. Love is revealed by our actions. Students in schools across the Gallatin Valley have become aware of a world wide need: Over 7 million children need wheelchairs in poor developing countries. These students have taken on the challenge to ROC their world by using their gifts, talents and hard work to change lives. Belgrade Middle School Students put Love into action by building 36 ROC wheelchairs at the Industrial Manufacturing class, creating beautiful hand painted wooden toys in the wood shop and art classes, and making ROC Doll magnets to raise donations for sponsoring ROC wheelchairs. Chief Joseph Middle School jumped into action by building a wheelchair and sewing wheelchair bags and gift bags filled with toiletries and toys. Children from Amsterdam Church have designed and printed colorful gift cards to raise awareness and sponsorship for ROC wheelchairs.

Youth experience the joy of giving when they watch the wheelchair they have sponsored and built being given and fitted to a precious child. Empowered youth make comments like these: “ I feel like a Care Bear!” “I feel warm and fuzzy inside when I help others” “Now I know that I really can change the world!” The kids have learned that true giving requires a sacrifice. After creating a beautiful toy, necklace, doll, flower pot or clothe bag that they really cherish, each student chooses to give it away to bless others. Loosely paraphrased 1Timothy 4:12 says don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young but set and example by how you live and by how you love.

These amazing youth have set an example for us all by recognizing a great need and taking action to help fill that need. The questions to ponder are: What sacrificial action am I willing to take? How can I use my time, talents and finances to empower and bless children with the gift of mobility? Lets follow the example of these students and ROC our world! Thanks for caring!

God Bless You,

Lee Ann Hanson

Co-founder of ROC Wheels

YEWTHS ROC Program Director

ROC Wheels in Iraq: Interview with Andrew Babcock, Executive Director of ROC Wheels

In order to improve the lives of people with disabilities and their families and create a safe and healthy working environment for locals, ROC Wheels initiated a wheelchair-manufacturing program, correct? Could you please tell me a little more about the program and the people with whom ROC Wheels is partnering?

Yes, our major partner in Iraq is Brad Blauser, Founder of Wheelchairs For Iraqi Kids. He was able to get in contact with NMIBC, which stands for National Metal Industry and Bicycle Company. They had been making wheelchairs for decades that were standard adult wheelchairs that were mass-produced, but with the war their operations were nearly eliminated. NMIBC has the potential to hire upwards to 1,000 people, but they currently have just over 100 people working at their manufacturing site.

With funding from USAID through World Learning ROC Wheels has been able to bring the production back into operation making the ROC Chair and another future model. We are not just be producing a standard wheelchair, but rather we produce our highly specialized pediatric wheelchair along with other wheelchairs that are designed for more rugged terrain that are currently being tested. Importing certain materials for the wheelchair manufacturing has been a challenge, but there are some advantages with what they’re able to do in house with the manufacturing of steel to our specification and with their ability to make their own wheels.

We just received the first model of the wheelchair they manufactured in Iraq. This week, we are testing the wheelchair and meeting with Salient Technologies to go over some design adaptations to make the wheelchair up to ROC Wheels standards.

You just received an e-mail update from our on-site representative Brad Blauser. What’s currently going on in Iraq with wheelchair distributions?

Today, Brad is fitting more wheelchairs for children with disabilities in Bagdad, Iraq. In the past 4 years, Brad has been involved with distributing over 2,500 wheelchairs to children with disabilities in Iraq, and most of those chairs have been ROC Chairs.

Why is ROC Wheels initiating the manufacture of wheelchairs in developing nations, rather than simply distributing the wheelchairs?

To serve any need to empower the people to provide for themselves. Perhaps the most basic of all needs is the need for mobility. Because outside organizations have been exporting wheelchairs into developing nations, it has made it difficult for any nationals to begin a wheelchair company when the main supply has been coming in for free. By going in and helping to establish these manufacturing programs, providing technical expertise, as well as assistance with the design and sourcing of materials, we’re planting seeds for the these developing nations to serve their own needs.

How can people partner with ROC Wheels to help children with disabilities in Iraq?

People can sponsor a ROC Chair through our Adopt-A-Chair Program. With a donation of $350 dollars we will deliver a custom-fit wheelchair to a child with disabilities in a less resourced country. By giving to ROC Wheels’ General Iraq Fund, they can contribute to the distribution and manufacturing of specialized wheelchairs in Iraq. And as always, people can give a donation to ROC Wheels’ General Fund to help our organization meet our goals and better serve children with disabilities and their families in developing nations.

RaShelle Soper

Associate Director of YEWTHS ROC

Rollin’ on ROC Wheels in Morocco

Currently His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco is taking steps towards the improvement of human rights and the advancement of social & economic progress for people with disabilities. Here at ROC Wheels, we are honored to be a part of these social and economic initiatives in Morocco. About 3 years ago, The Morocco Foundation discovered the highly specialized services of ROC Wheels and developed a partnership between ROC, Amicale Marocaine des Handicapes (AMH), and Centre Noor to manufacture ROC Chairs in Morocco. We feel privileged to partner with local NGOs like AMH, which is the first NGO in Morocco to build a physical rehabilitation center, provide rehabilitation services, raise awareness about disabilities and initiate a change in how their society perceive people with disabilities.

We are excited to announce that the manufacturing of our specialized wheelchairs is projected to begin by the end of this year. The Minister of Health in Morocco recently sent a letter to ROC Wheels to express her support of our efforts.

“I would like to sincerely congratulate you and provide all my support as well as wish you success in all your undertakings.” ~Yasmina Baddou, Health Minister

At present, it is most common for international NGOs to simply drop off wheelchairs and mobility equipment in developing countries. This distribution process is very costly because of shipping and usually the wheelchairs are not properly fit, which can cause a series of other health problems for the recipient of the wheelchair. Overall, in-country manufacturing of our ROC Chairs will be more cost effective and will better serve the disabled population of Morocco. The staff here at ROC Wheels would like to thank all of our donors for their generosity and for taking the time to reach out and care.

Blessings,

RaShelle Soper

Associate Director of YEWTHS ROC

ROC Wheels

Welcome to ROC Wheels Blog. We are excited about sharing our passion and experiences with you, and look forward to hearing from you all. We are currently out of the country in Istanbul. Updates to come soon...
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