Imagine not being able to move your hands or legs. Being wheelchair bound for life. Never knowing how it feels to have wind blow through your hair while running along the beach. That’s how Chaeli Mycroft, born in South Africa, lives. Born with cerebral palsy, she is wheelchair bound and cannot move her legs or hands. Despite that, she doesn’t let her disability stop her. Knowing how it feels to have almost no independence, Chaeli created the Chaeli Campaign, helping over 3,000 disabled children a year. The Chaeli Campaign started because she wanted to buy herself a motorized wheelchair, giving her more independence. She raised the money she needed within seven weeks and realized she could help raise money for others. She was rewarded in 2011 with the International Children’s Peace Prize for all the good she’s done for South African children. She believes that everyone is born equal and free, with independence and rights, whether they are disabled or not. She wants to show other children that there is still hope for them, even when it feels like there is nothing to live for.
Chaeli fights for the rights of disabled children and the fact that they are born equal and free and they all have independence. Chaeli herself was born with limited movement of her arms and legs. As said before, the Chaeli Campaign started because Chaeli wanted to buy herself a motorized wheelchair, giving her more independence. Her family couldn’t afford a new wheelchair, so Chaeli, her sisters and her friends sold cards, flower pots and their own artwork to raise money for Chaeli. After raising the money she needed within seven weeks, she realized she could help other disabled children and their needs. “This project has become the Chaeli Campaign, a professional organization that annually helps more than 3000 children with disabilities in South Africa with equipment, physical therapy and which defends the rights and acceptance of disabled children. Chaeli inspires other children to start projects and for that she has developed an ambassadors program.” Chaeli’s own needs ended up helping more than herself because she raised so much money, she decided to help others and donate to them. Of course, Chaeli didn’t do it all on her own. Her sisters and friends helped her along the road, sacrificing their free time to help others. Although it’s tough to have to sacrifice your own personal life, it’s all worth it because Chaeli and her friends have helped so many people recover and gain hope.
Chaeli takes her own hope and shows other disabled children that there is still hope for them as well. Born with cerebral palsy, she was less able to do everything everyone else can. But Chaeli didn’t let that get to her. Instead of pitying herself, she turned her disability into her gift. She started the Chaeli Campaign to help other disabled children and to show them they still have some hope. “‘Hope is what keeps us going,’ Chaeli said in her speech. ‘It’s what keeps us striving for the lives we deserve. I have hope for myself, but I also have hope for all other children with disabilities. I hope that my actions as an ability activist will leave the world more accepting and more accommodating for all people and not just people with disabilities, because we are all different and we all have the need to be accepted regardless of having a disability or not.’” Her non-profit organization helps over 3000 children a year, donating money, helping them get back on their feet by giving them equipment they need or physical therapy. Despite the fact that Chaeli is disabled, she competed in the world championship for ballroom dancing for the disabled. Chaeli doesn’t let her disabilities get to her and she shows everyone else that being disabled shouldn’t discourage them.
The work that Chaeli has done helped show over 3,000 disabled children that there is still hope for them, and that no matter what, they should know they were born equal and free, with rights, despite their disabilities. Chaeli’s own weaknesses encouraged her to help others who are conflicted with similar disabilities. Chaeli given the publicity of an award has motivated and inspired others to take action, letting disabled children know how it feels to move their hands or legs, possibly getting out of their wheelchairs and even feeling wind blow through their hair as they run along a beach.
Sources Used:
"Children's Peace Prize winner Chaeli Mycroft in South ... - YouTube." 2012. 1 Nov. 2012 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24zQ13hQfKI>
"The Universal Declaration of Human Rights." 2009. 1 Nov. 2012 <http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml>
"Michaela “Chaeli” Mycroft | Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans." 2012. 1 Nov. 2012 <http://ysa2012.mg.co.za/michaela-chaeli-mycroft/>
"SA Career Focus: Chaeli Mycroft." 2011. 1 Nov. 2012 <http://www.sacareerfocus.co.za/displayArticle.php?id=215>
"Michaela Mycroft winner of International Children's Peace Prize 2011." 2011. 1 Nov. 2012 <http://chaelicampaign-co-za.si-sv3825.com/news/michaela-mycroft-winner-of-international-childrens-peace-prize-2011/>
"2011 Chaeli Mycroft - Childrenspeaceprize." 2011. 1 Nov. 2012 <http://childrenspeaceprize.org/childrens-peace-price/2011-chaeli-mycroft/>
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