Cambodia gifts Pope the ‘Mekong’chair, symbol of war victims

On the sidelines of the synod sessions, the wheelchair made in Phnom Pen, representing universal dignity, was gifted to the Pontiff. Named after the longest river in Indochina, it improves the existence of people affected by mines and cluster bombs. Jesuit Enrique Figaredo, apostolic prefect of Battambang: it is a ‘sacrament’ because it changes the inner life of those who receive it.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Mekong. As one of the major rivers of Asia, seventh in the world, which has its source in Tibet and flows into the South China Sea. It is the name of the wheelchair made in Phnom Penh and donated on 23 October to Pope Francis by Fr Enrique Figaredo, Jesuit Apostolic Prefect of Battambang, outside the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican, on the sidelines of the synod work.

‘The journey of the Mekong chair from Cambodia to the Vatican symbolises that the dignity of every human life is universal, regardless of distance,’ says the Society of Jesus. In fact, it is within the framework of the Banteay Prieb project - a training centre and home for young disabled people - in a workshop founded by the Jesuits, that this instrument designed to bring relief to people affected by mines and cluster bombs, who are living the painful consequences of the tragedy of the war that devastated the country until the 1990s, comes to life.

Cambodia is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world and landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) pose a serious threat to civilians, especially in rural areas. As a result, thousands of people have suffered life-changing injuries, including amputations and severe mobility problems.

In addition, poverty and other effects of the war years (the then delays in polio vaccines) have made the situation even worse. The disabled and poor, often from isolated villages, were marginalised and had little hope of being included in society. The workshop was set up in 1994 and produces wheelchairs that improve the quality of life for these people, with the help of Motivation International - an international association that provides wheelchairs, training and services - as well as other organisations such as Manos Unidas, Misereor and Obos.

The Mekong chair was specially designed to meet the specific needs of the country's disabled population. It is made of wood attached to a metal frame and with its three wheels is suitable for rough terrain. It is the key not only to physical independence for many disabled people, but also to a renewed sense of purpose for their existence, especially in rural Cambodia, where infrastructure is poor and those without mobility risk being left behind. For children, access to a chair means the chance to go to school, while for adults, mobility means access to livelihoods.

‘Pope Francis has always championed the cause of protecting the poor and marginalised. By receiving this gift, the Pope will be symbolically placed alongside the countless men, women and children whose dignity has been restored thanks to this simple but significant invention,’ comments the Society of Jesus. ‘The handmade wheelchair embodies the resilience of the Cambodian people and the indomitable human spirit that can overcome the horrors of war. The presentation of the wheelchair is also a universal invitation to all to embrace compassion, healing and peace’.

For Fr. Enrique Figaredo, creator of the project, the Mekong chairs not only change the lives of many people, but also ‘transform the lives of those who receive them, because they become witnesses of the change they produce’. Indeed, a wheelchair restores hope and offers a new vision of reality. The Jesuit also considers wheelchairs a kind of ‘sacrament’: an outward sign that inwardly transforms the lives of those who receive them. The wheelchair presented to Pope Francis carries with it the stories of countless war survivors and the hope of many people who have transformed their personal stories of suffering into genuine good.